Big Sur Training Week 13 of 20

I feel like this past week marathon training got real.  I had my longest run to date- 18 miles!  Man, that's a long run no matter how you slice it. It made me feel slightly more confident about Big Sur but it was a flattish 18 miles so I still need to hit some hills on one of my 20-milers before the race. I also fell doing speed (SPEED WORK KILLS) and messed up my knees, my hand and actually went to the doctor to see if my ribs were broken.  It still hurts but I didn't miss any runs and it's not actually bothered by running .

Last week:

3/4: Yasso 800s- 3 miles w/ 8:28 mpm. Fun! Until I fell. I averaged 7:35 pace for my fast intervals and even hovered around 6:40-7:00 for 1/4 mile before I ate pavement.
3/5: 6 miles @ 9:58 mpm 347 ft. elevation gained
3/6: 8 miles @10:00 mpm
3/8: 2 miles @ 11:45 mpm (horrible shin cramps)
3/9: 18 miles @ 10:18 mpm

Total: 37 miles

As far as fueling, I felt like I should have taken another gel (I took 3 Gu packets) and have more water/electrolytes but I was missing the cap for one of my water bottles and my Nathan vest mouthpiece tasted horribly of plastic so I ended up only taking 16 oz of water w/ Nuun tablets and 8 oz of water.  I also super hydrated before, to the point I was peeing clear before and during my 1 of 2 bathroom stops during the run.  Good thing I ran by some bathrooms! I'm hoping I can balance hydration so I don't have to stop so much during the race.

Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve

Last week was a cut back week in my marathon plan so I hit the hills on my 10 mile long run at Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve in Woodside, California. I never get used to how beautiful the trails are in the San Francisco Bay and if you are willing to brave the elevation changes the rewards are great.  The preserve is located on the western side of the Santa Cruz Mountains and you can even see the ocean from the northern part of the preserve. I ran down the Harkins Ridge Trail to the Bay Area Ridge and Craig Britton Trail down into the base of the canyon to the Purisima Creek Trail and then back up the Harkins Ridge Trail.  I stopped to take pictures every few miles because it was so beautiful but the poor white balance on my iPhone dulled the bright green of all the trees so just imagine everything much more saturated than this.  It was pretty slippery with mud in some places, I look forward to coming back when it hasn't been raining so I'm not slipping and sliding down the hills.

 

Big Sur Training Week 12 of 20

2/26- 5 miles
2/27- 8 miles
3/1- 5 miles
3/2-10 miles

Total: 28 miles

I ran Purisima Creek Redwood Preserve today! Over 1800 ft. elevation gain over 10 miles... what a beating.  I will post pictures later.

Week 11 of 20

2/18- 3.07 miles

2/19- 4.87 miles (supposed to be 5, GPS went crazy and I went by time)

2/20- 8 miles

2/23- 16 miles

Total: 31.9 miles

I had some cramping issues with my left shin this week... including the first 4 miles of my long run.  It gets painfully rigid and I had to stop every mile or so. 

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 5 of 20

Last week was still light on the mileage due to my posterior tibia tendonitis but I think I rested the perfect amount and was able to go for a very enjoyable 6 mile trail run today. I've been resting, ice, compression, elevating, stretching, etc... and will try to really run my easy runs "easy" from now on. I have a PT appointment Thursday and hopefully they can tell me what else I can do to prevent injury while I build mileage.

Week 5 of 20:

1/7/14: 3 miles @ 9:04 min/mi pace
1/9/14: 4 miles @ 9:45 min/mi pace
1/11/14: 3 miles @ 10:09 min/mi pace

Total: 10 miles

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 4

I probably ran too fast last week for my ankles because they feel horrible this week. I have an appointment with an ortho and PT clinic and have had to severely reduce my mileage.  I think its several things but mainly posterior tibial tendonitis.

Two runs- 4 miles, followed by lots of pain and a few days off and 3 "ok" miles today in compression socks.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 3 of 20

Still in Texas. Still running. Will be back in the Bay for the New Year.

Week 3 of 20

12/24- 3.54 miles (supposed to be 4, MapMyRun GPS went all crazy in the beginning of the run) @ 8:40 pace
12/25- 5 miles @ 8:52 pace
12/26- 3 miles @ 8:39 pace
12/28- 3 miles splits at 10:47/11:20/8:40 because I was dragging my mother-in-law's Great Pyrenees for the first two miles before I dropped him back off for the final mile.
12/29- 8 miles @ 8:54 pace

Total miles: 22.5 miles

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 2 of 20

Late on the update! I'm visiting family deep in the heart of Texas and haven't had a chance to post last week's training (if anyone is out there reading with bated breath).  I ended up skipping my speed work day because I was still dealing with my bronchitis-type cough and went to the doctor for some Symbicort and cough medicine.  I probably could have run that day but my daughter was having a hard time in dance class (when I usually do my speed work) so I wasn't able to get away to run. ANYWAY, excuses, excuses right?  I'm on the right track this week and hope to actually do 100% of my planned runs.

Week 2 of 20

12/18- 5 miles @ 9:17
12/19- 3 miles @ 8:42
12/21- 3 miles @ 8:43
12/22- 7 miles @ 9:15

Total: 18 miles

Felt good.  Definitely getting better about getting out there (with the exception of 12/17) regardless of what else is going on in my life.  12/22 I flew out to Texas but still managed to get 7 miles in even though I really didn't feel like it.  I've been running exclusively in Vibram Bikilas and they have been fine... although I am having some heel issues that I'm hoping is not plantar fasciitis. I've been trying to be conscious of shortening my stride and that seems to help.  I also seem to be getting moderately faster- it's hard to slow down to what I think my training pace should be because my natural comfortable pace is around 9:15-9:30 now and that is a huge improvement from the 10:30-11:00 "easy" pace I was at least year.  Thank you SF hills and speed work!

Big Sur Training Week 1 of 20 / Music of the Day

Week 1 of Big Sur Marathon training complete!  Week 1 was done in Vibram Bikilas and it went alright... time will tell how the transition back to shoes will go. I might take my invisible shoes out for a spin next week to see how they feel- I have used them for walking but never run in them because one of my toe knots were a little bothersome.

I missed one short run because I took a 20 minute afternoon nap yesterday that turned into a 3 hour nap and I woke up and it was dark at barely 5.  Can't wait for the longer days to come back! I've also been dealing with a lingering upper respiratory illness and was proud I made 4/5 runs this week since my breathing is somewhat compromised and I was spitting a lot of residual lung mucous at the end of my long run today.

Week 1 of 20, Big Sur Marathon 2014

12/10- 3 miles @ 8:47
12/11- 4 miles @ 9:40
12/12- 4 miles @ 9:46
12/15- 6 miles @ 9:34

Total: 17 miles

Now, some tunes that keep me running this week (I in no way endorse any lyrics regarding driving under the influence, in fact I think the lyrics aren't promoting that at all, and I do love me some Kid Cudi featuring MGMT):

and Lorde, who is doing an AMA on Reddit as we speak:

Nike Women's Half Marathon

Sunday, I ran the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. 30,000 runners, mostly women, filled the streets of San Francisco to run half or full marathons.  This was the 10th year of the race and had about 5,000 more participants than the previous year- entry is only available via lottery because of the swanky Tiffany necklace you get in place of a medal handed to you by a San Francisco Firefighter.  The course is mildly hilly (I would have said very hilly when I first moved here from Texas but after trail running have reevaluated what I think hilly means) and runs down the Embarcadero, near Fort Mason, through Golden Gate Park and ends at the Great Highway on the Pacific Ocean.

Race morning I got up at 3:45 a.m., a little earlier than I usually have to get up for races but it started at 6:30 a.m. and because it is such a large race I wanted to make sure I parked remotely close to the starting line.  I picked up an iced latte and a bagel on the way and ended up in a parking garage a few blocks away that was nearly full over an hour before the race started.

I started the race with a few friends in the last corral, which didn't end up getting over the starting line until 45 minutes after the gun.  Unfortunately, because I was in the last corral and it was such a crowded race I ended up dodging slower runners and walkers the entire 13.1 miles.  The energy was really something special but I doubt I will be signing up for a race that large again.  I like my space! Along the course to motivate us were a full choir some time in the first 5k, many spectators with signs and even chocolate (that I didn't partake in because I was booking it) at mile 11.  This was the largest race I've ever been a part of and I was a little unused to all of the people cheering us on but it sure did help to hear the crowd at the finish line who were loudly cheering on the first place marathon finisher as I finished my half.

I came in with a time of 2:08:19, which was pretty darn good for me! I've been doing about 10:30 pace on my long runs with the longest being a 16 miler a couple of weeks before the Half.  I attribute my increased pace with trying to keep up with my running partner Courtney who kept me pushing through every mile and I even had a 7:50 pace on mile 11 (flying downhill).

Unfortunately, the finish line was insanely crowded because of a change in the land available to the race organizers and that caused me to not be able to find any of the people I came with (cell phones were not working because of how many people were trying to call out at the same time). I ended up just picking up my Tiffany necklace, shirt, drop bag and getting on the shuttles back to the starting line after an hour of trying to find anyone I knew and my phone ended up dying.

ETA: I ended up running in Merrell Trail Gloves instead of barefoot... I debated up until morning of what I was going to do but after my first half experience with an unknown course and it being an early morning race with a bit of chill in the air I put on my shoes.  I've run in them a few times including a 16 miler a couple of weeks before the race and I've also been having a couple of new "twinges" in my achilles... Coincidence?  I'm not sure but I'm definitely going to stick with bare feet for my familiar training routes.  I definitely could have done the course barefoot after seeing it but you never know.  The gravel I stood on waiting for the shuttles back to the start would not have been fun after a Half, either!

Overall, it was a great race and I was happy about my time but the sheer number of people caused a lot of logistical problems both during and after the race.  I also didn't get any course photos so I'm still on the hunt for the mythical "floating" running picture! I did get one before crossing the starting line as my corral moved towards it:

Weekly Mileage ending 9/29/13

9/26- 5 miles
9/29- 14 miles

Out for a week + Mileage ending 9/22/13

I fell on that awesome Wunderlich trail run the other day when my foot caught a root and although I ran about 2 more miles after that, I ended up taking a week off because I mildly sprained my knee on the fall.  I was limping for 4-5 days the first week and even this last week took it VERY light on the mileage. It feels fine now- no pain on short or long runs- and I hope to be back to building mileage this week.

9/17- 3 miles
9/22- 10 miles

Pictures from my run out and back over the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday:

Weekly Mileage 9/8/13 / Wunderlich

9/3- 4 miles
9/4- 6 miles
9/6- 3 miles
9/8- 10 miles

Total: 23 miles

I ended my mileage this week with a beautiful 10 mile trail run in Wunderlich County Park in Woodside, California.  I definitely did some walking on the way up as it was a pretty even split of 5 miles uphill and 5 miles downhill with an elevation change of 1591 ft.  Good practice for those Big Sur hills!  I caught a root again on the downhill and banged up my knees pretty good- we'll see how they feel tomorrow.  The view was worth it:

Weekly Mileage ending 7/28/13

Tuesday 7/23- 3.05 miles
Wednesday 7/24- 4.03 miles
Thursday 7//25- 4.51 miles
Saturday 7/27- 3 miles
Sunday 7/28- 7 miles

Total: 21.6 miles

Weekly Mileage ending 7/21/13

Tuesday 7/16- 3.09 miles
Wednesday 7/17- 4 miles
Thursday 7/18- 3.56 miles
Saturday 7/20- 3.07 miles
Sunday 7/21- 6.01 miles

Total: 19.7 miles

I ran my long run this week in Vibram Fivefinger Bikilas because I bruised the ball of my left foot at some point during the week but I still wanted to run for an hour because I hadn't done that in months!  I ran a bit faster than barefoot over a longer distance with the shoes on.  I often consider training at least part of the time in minimalist shoes because there are so many beautiful not-so-barefoot-friendly trails to run and race on in this area. For right now I still prefer barefoot but I think mixing it up helps prevent overuse injuries- I definitely run differently with shoes on.

BIG SUR 2014

BIG SUR 2014!!

Yes, I am yelling.  I just can't contain my excitement because I just registered for my first marathon. Not just any marathon, but one of the most beautiful marathons in the world. Because it is such an amazing race, it sells out quickly and long before the event. So, I have a little over 9 months to train for the April 27, 2014 race date!

Lake Merritt

Yesterday, my friend and I ran around Lake Merritt in Oakland, California.  It's a little over 3 miles around the lake and just a couple of blocks from BART. We're running a 10k trail race at the end of August together and this was our first run together! It was a very pleasant run- sunny but not hot, live music along the path, and a variety of surfaces.  It started off as smooth concrete, but there was also packed dirt with roots and small gravel. Running on a variety of surfaces is great for conditioning bare feet.  Last year, when I was preparing for my half-marathon, I ran 14 miles in training on sidewalks and thought that was plenty to condition myself for the race. Ha! I ended up putting on my Vibrams at mile 9 or so because the sheer variety of surfaces I had run over- packed dirt with pine needles, slab rock, large gravel, roots, and rocks had done a number on my soles.  That combined with an over 1900 ft. elevation gain and hot temperatures made for a tough race. I hope to condition my feet a little better for the upcoming 10k and have a little more fun with the race as a result. Barefoot running is awesome but it is even more awesome when you can run a race pain-free!

Lake Merritt Oakland, CA

HBTune Review

*Review update 7/30/13- Plastic piece broke, rendering product unusable. See blog entry: http://barefootstephanie.blogspot.com/2013/07/you-know-hb-tune-iphone-holder-i.html*


A few months ago, while riding the lovely Bay Area Rapid Transit train, some guy on his way to the airport with a suitcase full of phone holders for running gave me one. It's called the HB Tune and it is strapped onto the hand as opposed to other armbands I have used the are strapped onto the upper arm or forearm. I only recently had a chance to run with it, and these are my thoughts:

Pros:
- The standout feature of this iPhone holder (they also make them for larger phones, for you Samsung Galaxy owners!) is the fact that you don't have to awkwardly twist your arm in order to access the touch screen. This is important for people like me that like to change their music often while they run.
- Light and comfortable
- Easy to get phone in and out of case. This has been and issue for me with other armbands. It's actually loose enough that you could have an iPhone in a super bulky case and it would easily fit in the HB Tune.

Cons:
- Not very breathable. It made my hand sweaty on the first run of only 3 miles and it wasn't that hot outside.
- Materials seem a little cheap- it's neoprene and clear plastic that's either glued or heat bonded together, not stitched like other armbands I've used.
- Slightly awkward to strap on, but it isn't bothersome while running.

Conclusion:
Not a bad device holder and I prefer it to my upper arm band because of the ease of screen access. However, for $24.99, it's priced approximately the same with other forearm bands that provide the same convenience. I probably wouldn't spend the money but I'll definitely use a free one given to me on BART!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

  Well, I cut my hair. I know, you're like, "This is a barefoot running blog, girl, I don't care about your hair." However, it did take me 4 years to grow it out and going from nearly tailbone-length hair to a pixie is a drastic change.  I was very attached to my hair and it is both freeing and anxiety-inducing to be rid of all of it. It was at the point where it was getting caught in car doors, it was very heavy, and I kept it up most of the time anyway so I wasn't really enjoying the length. I also bleached my dark hair blonde. Then cut it again. I'm mostly sure I'm done changing it for now.

I also started running again. I've had a not-so-great year for running... I ran a 10k and PR'd, but haven't felt as good as I did during the first two years I started running. I haven't maintained nearly the mileage I had hoped to or even had done in the past. Obsessing about mileage and times was what motivated me then but after a certain amount of time you stop progressing as blindingly fast as you did in the beginning. I went from 14 minute miles to 10 minute miles to 8 and even 7:30 minute miles (for short distances like the 5k), so why was it so hard to run 6 minute miles?

 My husband has a maxim that you need to have two motivations or reasons for doing something- because one or both of those will wax and wane with time. I haven't figured out what my other reason for running is besides competition... with myself and others. But I'm thinking about it. I registered for another 10k trail race and am getting back out there.

I ordered some Xero Shoes Huaraches and received them yesterday. I will post a review of them soon but right now I am still playing with the lacing in order to make them comfortable and secure enough to run in.

I have been doing a bootcamp class the past few weeks and it feels like all the squats, lunges and core work I've been doing have improved my running- hills are a little easier, I feel less fatigued at the end of the run.  Yet another vote for cross-training!

A couple of runs

Saturday 5/4- 3.1 miles

Monday 5/6- 3.1 miles

I'm back after the rib injury and being busy with some volunteer work.