Why I Joined a Running Club

I am not going to do my weekly recap as I normally do because I don't have anything to recap. I am sure you don't want to hear me talk about how I have not been running so I won't do that either. I think I  just will talk about the other exciting things in my life like my new running club. I have a lot to be thankful for so I am staying as positive as I can about this whole hip issue.

I was planning on going to my first meeting with the club on Saturday but I knew that I would have been tempted to run. I decided to wait until I can run again since it might be weird to show up at a running club if you can't run. Hopefully that will be really soon. I have been wanting to join a running club for a while but just haven't taken the time to do it.  I wanted to join a running club for a few reasons so here are just a few reasons why I decided to do it.

1) I am tired of running those long runs all by myself. Those 20 milers can be pretty brutal when you are out there by yourself.

2) Time flies when you run with a group or even with one other person. I used to run with my close friend but once her husband passed away her desire to run just kind of went away. I have been trying to get her back into running but I can see that right now she just isn't ready. I miss running with her so I figured that joining a running club would give me some company and give me an opportunity to meet some new people who also love running.

3) I like the idea of meeting other people who share the same passion as I do. I think that this like-mindedness (is that even a word) is great because it causes us to motivate each other, share training ideas, share our achievements and it is also a safer environment than just running alone.

4) I feel like I need to change things up. I sometimes feel like I am stuck in a typical routine and running the same old routes that I always train on. I think this will be a nice change of scenery for me. Running in new places always makes me feel refreshed and I kind of like the idea of not having to map out a 15 mile route or a 20 mile route for my long run.

These are just a few reasons why I joined a running club. I am sure there are a million benefits to being a member of a running club which I will soon find out.

Are you a member of a running club?

Tell me some of the benefits that you have discovered to being a member of a running club.

Three Things Thursday

1) I have not gone for a run in five whole days! Yes, five whole days! I don't have any exciting news to share about running because today makes the fifth day of no running. Am I repeating myself? I am dealing with it way better than I thought I would. This might sound weird but it has been kind of nice to come home and relax and take care of the things that I normally put off for the weekend.

2) When I can't run I kind of go on these missions where I do things that are related to running like shopping for running clothes and shoes. I didn't do that this time around but I did do something that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I joined a running club! I am kind of tired of running those long runs alone so I am thinking this change will be kind of nice.

3) The Ventura Marathon is next Sunday which also happens to be my 21st birthday. I have not made a decision as to whether or not I will run. I know that I want to but what I want to do and the right thing to do are two different things. The deadline to defer the race is Tuesday, September 2nd. The race director is not charging any fees for deferring this year which is really nice of him. I will make my final decision by next Tuesday. Pray for me!

Weekly Recap (8/18-8/24)

I think I am dealing with a case of hip bursitis. My hip never hurts when I run but I do wake up with some discomfort in the morning so his past week has been all about keeping the hip happy and trying to make it feel better. I have been faithfully icing my hip and doing hip stretching and strengthening exercises every morning and every night. It was a pretty boring and sad week for me but I will tell you about it anyway...

Monday: REST DAY from running. Hip stretching and strengthening exercises, planked and did some push ups.

Tuesday: 7 Miles@ 8:05 avg. pace/I warmed up and then pushed the pace from Miles 3-7 to see if my hip would hurt and it did not. Amen for that but I did have some really minor pain the next day so I iced it and decided that I needed to take a few days off.

Wednesday: REST DAY with hip stretches and strengthening exercises.

Thursday: REST DAY with hip stretches and strengthening exercises.

Friday: REST DAY with hip stretches and strengthening exercises.

Saturday: 20 Miles@ 8:49/ I woke up with no hip pain so I decided to go for a run to see how I felt. I had no pain so I just went for it. I really needed to get this last long run in so that I could start making plans for Ventura in two weeks. I attempted to take an ice bath after my run and it was pretty traumatic. I kept jumping in and out of the tub because it was painfully cold! I am not sure when I will attempt this again.

Sunday: Hip pain was back again so I decided that I am going to take some more time off at this point until the pain goes away. BOO!

TOTAL MILES: 27 miles

This whole hip issue is kind of messing with my race plans in two weeks. I really wanted to run the full marathon but it looks like maybe it is not going to happen if this hip pain continues. I am hoping for some relief so that I can still run the half but if not then the birthday race is off the calendar. I am bummed but I am glad that I did not have big plans for this race or else I would be beyond bummed at this point!

Have you ever had a case of hip bursitis?

 Any advice...besides rest and stop running :(

Weekly Recap (8/11-8/17)

Three weeks to go and I have been leaning towards running the marathon but then this hip pain decided to make an appearance this week. Thankfully I have no goals for this race and I will just run to celebrate my birthday or else I would be pretty bummed right now. In any case, it was a disappointing week for me with very low mileage due to the left hip pain. It is VERY HARD to skip a long run but I know I am doing the right thing. In the end I know that I will thank myself for being a smart runner and playing it smart. Live and Learn!

Monday: Rest Day with some push ups, squats and exercises with the medicine ball.

Tuesday: 7 Mile Tempo @8:22/This run was really rough. The winds were super strong the first two miles and I started in 89 degree heat. You can kind of see where I am going with this one. The rest of the run was a fight to finish. I was hoping for Miles 3-6 to be under 8:00 but that was not happening on this particular day!

Wednesday: Rest Day- I woke up with some pain in my left hip so I did some stretches for my hips and took a break from running.

Thursday: My hip felt okay so I did 5 Easy Miles @10:11 pace. I met up with Megan at the crack of dawn (explains why the picture is so dark) to attend the #blogfest #funrun. We parked a mile from the Anaheim Convention Center and then ran the 3 mile fun run and then the final mile back to our cars.  I was too cheap to pay the $20 parking fee at the convention center so I forced Megan to run two extra miles with me.

Friday and Saturday: Rest Days since my hip pain returned on Friday morning! It felt better on Saturday but I didn't want to chance it and run. I did some stretches for my hip and lots of icing throughout the day.

Sunday: 6 Easy Miles @10:09/My hip felt much better and I had zero pain while running. I never felt any pain at all when I was running but the pain seems to appear a few hours after running or the next morning.

Total Miles: 18 (BOO!)

It was a pretty crappy week in terms of mileage since I skipped my long run which was supposed to be 20 miles. I hope I can run it next week or else I might have to finalize my plans for Ventura and just run the half which I am totally fine with since I have Long Beach coming up really soon. 

How was your week? Any races coming up?

Marathon Training (8/4-8/10)

Can you believe that the Ventura Marathon is just four weeks away? I am really starting to get nervous about it! The hot weather was really scaring me at first but it is comforting to know that the weather in Ventura, CA has been much better than what I have been experiencing!

Weather in Ventura, CA

Weather  in My City versus

I took advantage of the small drop in the temperatures this past week because I have heard that the heat will be back this week. I haven't ran on the treadmill in over a week because I was really getting burned out and felt like I need to log more road miles. 

Here is what I did this week:

Monday: Rest Day from running but did some push-ups, squats and other strength training with my medicine ball.

Tuesday: 8.5 Mile Tempo Run/8:00 avg./I finally had a decent run and it felt good to hit some sub 8:00 miles out on the road. By the end of the day, my legs were pretty sore. I am sure it was from the squats the day before and not from the run.

Wednesday: Rest Day from running but did some core work. My legs were still a little sore so I knew I needed to take a day off from running to recover for my next run.

Thursday: 6.2 Miles @8:16 avg. pace/We have been going to the local bike trail versus the gym lately. It was 80 degrees and a bit windy so it wasn't that bad. The first two miles (8:46, 8:47) were a little tough since they were slightly uphill with a head wind. The last 4.2 miles were much better and I felt pretty good so I pushed it a little bit (8:13, 8:22, 7:59, 7:40.)

Friday: Rest Day from running but did some strength training. I took my grandma to visit my grandpa's grave since it was his birthday. He would have been 78 years old.

Saturday: 15 Miles@9.44 avg. pace. I ran my long run with my friend Maritza since her and I will be running the Long Beach Marathon together. It was nice to have someone to run with because long runs are painful when you run them alone. 

Sunday: 6.3 Mile Recovery Run @9:34 pace/ I ran the first 4 miles with my other half and the last 2 alone. This is his second week of training for his half marathon in November and he is doing pretty good. This run really made me see the benefit of keeping the pace easy on the long runs. My legs felt great and I could have gone further than 6 miles. It is not often that I feel this way the day after my long run but perhaps it was due to the easy pace I kept on this run.

We also celebrated my Grandma's 87th birthday on Sunday. My grandparents birthdays are two days apart but my grandma is nine years older than my grandpa. We took her out to lunch and we had a really good time. She was happy. She always gets sad for my grandpa on special occasions but today she did pretty good.

Total Miles: 36 which puts me at 60 miles for the month of August. This was also the last week of the Summer Run Challenge which really kept me accountable to my weekly miles.

Next week calls for a 20 mile long run which always make me nervous. I might take a trip out to the actual course and run my long run out in Ventura just to get a feel for it. The course is supposed to be a flat, out and back course but I have heard that you catch a head wind on the way back. I am not sure if this will boost or kill my confidence. Sometimes it is better not to know, right?

Does part of your marathon training include running parts of the actual course?

I Have Decided on a Fall Marathon or Two...

I am still undecided as to whether or not I will run the Ventura full marathon or just the half on my birthday. I am training to run a full marathon so I have committed to running the Long Beach Marathon so all of this training does not go to waste. If I decide to run the Ventura Marathon then it looks like I will still be running Long Beach Marathon as well.

Ventura and Long Beach are about a month apart and I know it is a bit much. I have put some thought into it and I have a plan. I will be running Long Beach with a friend at a much easier pace than my current marathon pace. Her goal is to come in between 4:30-5:00 hours so I think that this pace will be a safe one for me should I decide to run both. If I am not up to running both then I will make the right decision. Injury is not fun and I won't put myself at risk if I am not feeling up to it.

Thoughts on running two marathons a month apart? 

Any tips on how to maintain my training in between the two?

I am not sure how I will train in between the two but I know that I plan to take a week off after Ventura to give my body time to recover.

July Miles and My Workouts for 7/28-8/3

July was a good month. My goal was to run 150 miles and I met my goal!

My legs feel great but I am being faithful about foam rolling and I am always open to skipping a run if my body is telling me to take a break. I don't want to get too focused on hitting a certain amount of mileage for the month but more on being able to make my runs count. August is going to be a big month since I am reaching long runs of 18 miles plus so I need to stay focused and plan carefully around the hot weather. I am also having to take my long runs a little slower than planned but heat is my worst enemy and in order to survive it is what I have to do. I am good with that or else I end up wimping out and cutting my long runs short and I can't do that.

Here is a recap of my week:

Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: 5.15 Miles @8:42 avg pace/I was supposed to run my tempo run but my son wanted to join me so we made it a family exercise day on the bike trail. My other half started his training for the Las Vegas R&R half marathon this week so we ran two miles together and then I ran three miles alone (8:35, 8:01, 7:47.) My son rode his bike along side us since we ran on the bike trail. It was 88 degrees but with no sun and a nice breeze so I guess I can handle that.

Wednesday: I skipped out on my run and I ended up calling it a date night with my other half. I planned to run after we had dinner but I had a super bad headache and just decided to call it a day. I have to give myself the freedom to skip a run when I feel like I need it or else I get burned out. I also know that when I skip a run, my next run will be a good one.

Thursday: 5 Miles@9:43 avg. pace/I ran in the 91 degree heat and it was pretty rough. I thought I was going to pass out it was so hot!

Friday: Rest Day. I took a vacation day from work and just kind of took it easy knowing that I had an 18 mile run the following day.

Saturday: 18 Miles@8:50 avg./I ran the first half easy and the last half a little faster. These long runs are getting harder and harder with the heat. They are a little frustrating because I feel more tired than I usually do and hitting my goal paces take so much more effort.

Sunday: 5 Mile Recovery Run@9:54 with my other half. It was pretty warm when we left the house at 7:00 am and the humidity level was at 84%. We are definitely not used to this kind of weather! It actually rained over night and I was happy about that since we really needed it.

Total Miles: 33 Miles

It looks like we are going to get a small break from the heat next week. Of course the break comes on a cut back week but I will take it. I am off work on Friday so it looks like I will try to plan my long run on Friday. I must say that 63 degrees never sounded so good!

What do you prefer? Heat or Humidity?
I say neither one..

Weekly Recap 7/21-7/27 and a 5K!

July flew right by didn't it? I am well on my way to meeting my goal of 150 mile for the month and I can hardly wait to get there. I have 10 miles to go!! I wasn't sure how my body would respond and I was definitely ready to back off of the miles if my legs were not happy. I don't want to jinx myself but my legs have held up pretty well but I think I owe the results to my foam roller. Things have sure changed for me since I have committed to foam rolling after my runs!

This week was a cut back week. My body sure appreciated the break. I also threw a 5K in this week to tire my legs out a little bit before my long run. I ran this same 5k last year and it was not pretty so I really wanted to go back and make things right. It didn't need to be a PR but just a decent race where things felt normal. I have a love/hate relationship with 5K's!

Monday: Rest Day from running but did some strength training.

Tuesday: 6 Miles @8:14 avg pace/I went to a different gym and the treadmills are different than the ones that I am used to running on. This run felt really hard and my legs felt really tired for the first two miles. I wanted to quit at Mile 3 but I kept telling myself to just hang on.

Wednesday: Rest Day with strength training.

Thursday: 6 Miles@8:04/I really wanted to run on the roads but it was 102 degrees when I got home from work and there was just no way! I was determined to have a good run after my Monday run was not so great.

Friday: Rest Day since I wanted to be rested for my 5K.

Saturday: City of Cypress 5K (23:43) avg pace 7:37

Sunday: 15 Miles@ 9:19 avg. pace/I made it out the door super early and kept the pace easy. I had cloud coverage for the first 10.5 miles and it was great. The first 12 miles were MGP plus 60 seconds and the last three miles were at MGP.

Total Miles: 30.11

Week three of the Summer Run Challenge is complete and I met my goal for the week! This week I will take the mileage back up a little bit! 

The heat will still be with us here in So Cal next week which makes training a little tricky. I know that I have to stick with it even if it means bringing down the pace and focusing on getting the miles in.

Do you love or hate 5K's?

7/26/14: City of Cypress 5K

This was my second year running this race. Last year I had a horrible race so I really wanted to run this race again with better results. I really like this race and the course is flat and easy. My only complaint is the start time. The race starts at 7:30 am and with the summer heat I think a 6:30 am start would be much better. I like that they offer same day bib pick up but I am sure they would not be able to offer this if they had an earlier start time.

I am kind of useless in the heat when it comes to running. I just don't feel right and I really have to work much harder than I really want to. I knew by the first mile that things were not going to be fantastic. My legs felt heavy the entire first mile so I think I kind lost confidence after that point and just hoped to finish with a better time than I did last year.

The last mile was tough. It was hot and we were running with the sun in our faces. I wanted to be done. It was pretty sad how I didn't push myself to finish stronger. I am still kind of mad at myself for giving up so easily.

Last year I finished in 23:57 and placed 5th in my AG so I was glad that I beat my time by 14 seconds and placed 4th in my AG this year. 

Official Time: 23:43 (4th Place AG)

I am sure I will run this race again. Maybe I will get lucky next year and the weather will be much cooler or I need to get brave and learn how to run in the heat!

11 Fitness Items I CANNOT Live Without!

I saw this on Hungry Runner Girl's blog and I wanted to share the top 11 things that I cannot live without! I couldn't narrow it down to 10 so I have 11! When I prepare for a long training run or travel for a race, these are the things that would send me into a mad panic if I forgot to bring them along with me!

Here is my list of fitness items that I am incredibly thankful for and have learned to love!

1) Garmin Forerunner 620-This is my favorite Garmin by far and the top item that I just cannot live without! It provides so much running data and I just love it! I love the Live Track option and the fact that the data automatically uploads to Garmin Connect.

2) GU Energy Gel-My favorite flavors are Jet Blackberry and Salted Caramel. The energy kick that this gel gives me during a race or a long run is amazing. The Salted Caramel flavor tastes just like candy so it's like a treat while I am out on my runs. You have to try it if you have not already! They just released a new flavor, Salted Watermelon, that I am dying to try!

3) Foam Roller-This thing has saved my life! If you don't have one, please go and buy one and start using it! After being injured so many times, I became religious about using my foam roller. I use it after all of my runs and it has made a huge difference! I can now run 20 miles and have no soreness the next day. I like the extra firm one because it really hurts so good!

4) The Stick-This is the best for sore legs. I even have the travel sized version that fits inside my bag. I never leave home without it and I even take it to work with and secretly use it at my desk. It is also the best thing to have on hand for relays when you are cramped inside of a van overnight.

5) 20 oz. Amphipod Hand-Held Water Bottle- I have been trying to kick the hydration belt lately because it is just so much easier to just carry my hand-held. I can't be without my water so I have yet to master running a race using the course supplied hydration. I can go pretty far on this bottle without having to refill it and the outside pocket works perfect for holding my Chapstick.

6) Fitletic Ultimate II Running Belt (with Bib Holder and Fuel Slots)- I love that the front pocket is just the perfect size for my phone and the belt has slots to hold my GU's. The bib holder is great since I don't have to worry about forgetting safety pins on race day.

7) Body Glide-I learned a valuable lesson after my first marathon. I had some serious chaffing issues and I could feel my skin burning in the end of that race. Lesson learned and I never had that problem again since using Body Glide.

8) Nike Tempo Shorts-These are the most comfortable shorts that I have ever worn. I have tried other brands but my heart belongs to my tempo shorts which would explain why I have over 25 pairs of them!

9) Compression Socks- I wear both Pro Compression and CEP. I love them both. I wear them for all of my runs and they help me recover faster and improve my circulation. I have terrible tans lines from them but it's totally worth it to me!

10) KT Tape Pro- This tape has saved me when I have aches and pains and when I have been injured. I love this stuff! I only wear the Stealth Beige color though so I don't have to worry about matching it up with all of my clothes. I like the Pro version because it sticks better and is waterproof.

11) Nike Sun Visor-I cannot wear sunglasses when I run because I feel like I can't see. Weird..I know. I never run without my visor because it keeps the sun out of my eyes and the sweat off of my face.

What are your favorite fitness items that you cannot live without?  

Please share in the comments below.

Weekly Recap: 7/14-7/20

Last week was a very challenging one for me and I ended up feeling really tired come Monday. I planned to tone down the pace on a couple of my runs so that I felt ready take on my long 20 mile run. I wanted to make sure that I had gas in the tank to finish my run strong.

Monday: I was pretty tired Monday morning so I decided to take a complete rest day. I did zero running and zero strength training. I pretty much came home from work, ate dinner and laid on my bed and watched TV. I really needed it and I am glad I allowed myself to take a little break.

Tuesday: 7 Mile Tempo Run@7:59 avg. pace

Wednesday: 5 Miles Easy@9:31/This run almost didn't happen because I was feeling really tired when I got home from work. I had an easy 5 on the schedule so I figured I would just do it even it was not a great one. In the end I was glad I stuck with the plan and got it done.

Thursday: Rest Day with strength training and meet by met my plank goal of 5 minutes! I think I am going to keep going to see how much longer I can hold one. I am sure it won't get much better because I shake pretty bad in the end.

Friday: 20.07 Miles@8:53 avg pace/I ran Miles 1-7@MGP plus 30-60 seconds and Miles 8-20 @MGP plus 15-30 seconds. I actually felt good throughout this entire run but I am sure that the 63 degree weather played a big role in it!

Saturday: Rest Day with strength training with the focus on my arms and core. My legs felt great coming off of the 20 miles so I wanted to rest them. I was tired and took a three hour afternoon nap which I never do. It felt kind of nice!

Sunday: 6.03 Miles@9:32 avg pace/Ran the first 5 miles with my other half and the last mile alone. I also did my squats since today will be a rest day from running.

Total Miles: 38.10

Week three of the Summer Run Challenge complete and I hit my goal for the week.  I am at 110 miles for the month of July which is really close to my goal of 150 miles! Ventura is just seven weeks away and before you know it, it will be race day! I am looking forward to my birthday race and hoping for good weather.

How was your week? Did you run any races?