Finished week 6 of my training program this morning. Felt pretty good and pleased with my pace considering I climbed almost as much as I’ll do in The San Francisco Marathon. Big difference is the elevation gain was crammed into 11 miles instead of 26.2. Lena had breakfast waiting when I got back home. Awesome!
As nice as it is running around the lake, it’s getting old. I like it for the elevation training but really need something new to look at.
Had a great run today as I participated in the 2010 OC Half Marathon. Great support on the course and plenty of nice views. Had family waiting for me at the finish which is always great motivation. Looking forward to seeing photos that my friend Oscar took of us all at the end.
**UPDATE – Chip/Tag time was officially 2:03:08.
According to my GPS/watch I ran 13.2 in 2:03:09 (avg. 9:19 miles). The extra tenth was most likely due to the lines I took trying to move around other runners and get over to the water stations. Chip times will not be published until later today. Once I get that information I’ll update the post with my official time.
This is definitely an event I would do again. Maybe Lena and I can run it together next year. By together I mean start together…and watch as she pulls away from the start.
Next week is the official start of my marathon program. This will be a 16 week endeavor that ends with running The San Francisco Marathon. Ended this week with a couple laps around the lake.
Finished up the week with a nice 6 mile run (Garmin Connect link below). A couple of those miles were too quick but I’m gonna blame my friends Oscar and Helen. Talk about timing.. I was running on the riverbed trail in Irvine about to go under a street and they were out walking their dog across the bridge above me. Perfect timing. Even though I had just started out on my run, seeing friends gave me that boost of energy you normally get during a race. Good seeing you guys, thanks for the sub 8:30 miles 
Next week I bump up the mid-week run mileage in preparation for the 4-day training session that is soon approaching. The start of the 4-day sessions puts me at week 1 of 16 for my marathon ramp up. Everything I’ve done to date has been to prepare me for the 16-week marathon training schedule.
Garmin Connect – Activity Details for Irvine Riverbed.
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As most of you are now aware, I have started running again. It has been about five years since I actually took it seriously and felt I needed a change in lifestyle. In 2005 I finished the Long Beach Half Marathon. When I crossed the finish line I felt fantastic. I felt like I could have done the full marathon that day but knew I had not put the mileage in and would most likely have collapsed several miles down the road. So here it is, 2010. Larger family..bigger goal.
On New Years Day 2010 I was asked if I had any resolutions. My answer was simply “No. Resolutions almost never work out.” Instead of calling this a resolution, I referred to it as a lifestyle change. The entire family started eating healthier..much healthier. And for the first time in about five years, I started actively running again. My running goals for this year are to finish the OC Half Marathon on May 2 then finish The San Francisco Marathon in July. This will be the first marathon I have ever attempted and have heard nothing but how hilly the course is. Bring it SF.
Of course, behind every out of shape husband looking to get back into it is a supportive wife. I’m fortunate enough to be married to one who knows “how” to run the marathon. Besides finishing two Ironman competitions, she has run in enough marathons (including Boston) to be considered a good distance runner. Lately I’m not sure if she appreciates all my questions or wishes I would just shut-up and go run already. Either way, her answers and/or demands to just go run are welcome motivation as I try to find my stride again.
I’ll keep you all posted as I go through training and ultimately, my showdown with the hills of San Francisco. There’s even a new category on the site called ‘Running’ where you can see a list of all the running related posts I hope to add over the coming months.
New post on www.mymommyrun.com regarding minimalist running shoes! Check it out!
I woke up at 5:30 AM this morning to go on a 4 mile run. I have to tell you I love running in the morning now. I love my time in the morning when it’s still dark and the kids are sleeping (no mommy guilt, no thinking “I should be with my kids right now”). I love looking at the stars and trying to find constellations. It is just so peaceful. And I love feeling good the rest of the day because running just does that to me…it just makes me feel good.
Of course, I couldn’t have these times, if it wasn’t for my wonderful husband, who is there for the kids, just in case! Love you.