Finding Motivation...

Sometimes it takes a quick lapse in reality to begin questioning the present and renew the future. When eating dinner last night at Rubio's and enjoying the $1.49 fish tacos, I ended up casually ordering a Corona with my meal.  It was the first time that I've done this at Rubio's but I find myself drinking just a tad more than usual.  I bet I can attribute my spike in weight to this new found casual drinking attitude  as well the fact that I've raised my normal dinner consumption to two beers or so per plate when just over a year ago, one beer would have been just fine!  What the heck is going on?

So, when I got home last night, a light bulb came on and I made a promise to myself and Adelle that starting the day after my 30th, I'll be giving it up...until after my next Sprint Triathlon. Trying to get healthier has been a bit difficult but so far, I've held off on sodas for almost the entire year with some exceptions of an occasional Seagram's Ginger Ale to quench the urge of bubbly.  When I finally move in September, I'm already certain, that it'll be a battle no more.  I'll be working outside in the yard tending the garden and doing it up farmer's style!

I've linked the picture of "No Beer," to a great article that listed these bullet points.  Read 'em and then check out the other referenced article aftewards.

Alcohol is a metabolized differently than other foods and beverages. Alcohol molecules diffuse through the stomach wall and reach the brain and liver in minutes. The liver then focuses primarily on the alcohol, leaving the carbohydrates and dietary fats to be changed into body fat. Changed into body fat?! After all those extreme jacks? No, thank you.

Alcohol is a diuretic. When your body loses water and becomes dehydrated, it loses important minerals that are vital to the maintenance of fluid balance, chemical reactions, and muscle contraction and relaxation. Right now, that glass of wine is not really as relaxing as you think.

Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and offers NO nutritional value. Alcohol only adds empty calories to your diet. I don’t know about you, but when I’m busting my booty at camp, I want my calories to mean something. No vapid calories.

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions. After consuming alcohol, people are more likely to do things they would not normally do sober. Now stop dancing on that table and get your dirty mind out of the gutter, this is a fitness blog. Alcohol stimulates appetite and reduces willpower. Many people tend to overeat when they are drinking. At least that’s all we’re talking about today.

If you're in town tomorrow night and down for a good old fashioned BBQ and free beer, give me a call or hit my up on facebook or twitter @eejay!  Nothing like free beer to celebrate the next decade of fitness, life and family!

via btbfitness via sparkpeople.

Staying Motivated

I've definitely fell off the wagon in terms of not only writing, but working out. There was a good period where a Captain and I had a good time working out two of the three nights at an overnight and where I actually felt good, but I'm gaining weight, and falling behind...fast! I'm still at the hefty 185 lbs, with just under 50 days left until my second sprint triathlon but at least August is set to be a record month in days off. With that, looks like I have to put my flights of fancy (read: Vietnam) on hold for a swim class and two-three bricks a week. August is also lined with moving back to suburbia, celebrating my first year wedding anniversary and whatever other distractions so definitely not a prime month, but I will make the best of it.

Either than that, the Pitficks' and Nicolas' have officially become part of a Ragnar Relay Race in 2011 which takes place in the Florida Keys joining up with another team from the East Coast. Should be fun once all the logistics are planned out! I can't wait.

Cars and Running...in Atlanta

Heading down to Kurt's house early morning, I left the crashpad in Buckhead and began my 50 minute drive south on 85 to Grantville. Picking up some breakfast bagels at Panera along with some Honey Walnut Cream Cheese hit the spot before we got underneath the car. An enthusiast on the popular bimmerforums website by the name of MLue1 wrote a great step by step procedure which helped in the process of changing the part out. Some said that the swap took only 20-30 minutes, and I was proud that we finished in under an hour. The actual exchange of the part was 10 minutes but the lifting of the car, removal of the wheels...just overall setup was what took the longest. Taking a look at the picture, the new one is on the left compressed and if you look closely at the "bag" on the right side, you'll see the age; the car was manufactured in 01/99. You do the math. Can you believe that a local shop here in Atlanta wanted to charge over $600 in labor? I bought the Left (part number 37121095081) and Right (part number 37121095082) Sport Air Springs using realoem.com to find the part number and eeuroparts where I was able to place a phone order in two minutes! The price was okay at $180 a side but from what I've heard, some BMW Dealerships will actually give you a better price. Next time, I'll be sure to double check. There's always the shocks next!

Hanging out for a few minutes, we decided to go on that run...

Running in Grantville (in southern Atlanta) proved to be just a little too hot for me. After working on the wagon with Kurt, yes, more or less he did most of the "dirty" work but I did about 40% or so, I decided that I wanted to see what hills he kept on talking about around his neighborhood. Off we went. Starting off at a good pace, the heat just really began to slow me down. The smell of the horses near by, the trees surrounding the area, I was definitely out of my element. I was running in heat that was roughly 25 degrees hotter than the usual San Diego weather! Did I mention that the temp was rated at a 105F index!? Smuldering... so instead, I resulted to just doing a couple of long walks sprinkling them with some really fast sprints. I even did a ridiculous leg getting my heart rate to the highest I've ever seen! Check out the details below. I'll trust Kurt on the hills next time, but I can't wait to really get back into "training" mode.

Mt. Woodson Hike

Setting out for a late morning hike with Joyce O. and Greg J., we would find out early on that it was going to be a very hot hike up the local mountain. Looking up some details the night before on San Diego Hikers, details included a difficulty of 6/10 and a length of approximately 8.0 miles there and back. Browsing the Lake Poway Trails website also provided some good details. Driving into Lake Poway, I was surprised there wasn't a parking charge (which usually costs $5) and we made our way to the right hand side of the park as far south and east as possible parking as close as possible to the trailhead. I parked the car in a good shaded area and then applied some sunscreen while waiting for Greg.

We set out right away and the uphill began. We would take breaks here and there and I noticed that I was drinking too much as my Nalgene bottle was only a quarter full when I got to the top. I ended up jogging the last 1.3 miles and came to the idea that I'd like to do this again as a "trail run," sometime. The bottom line and goal of this hike was really all about the photo op. I mean, seriously...it's just something to have posted on facebook or my website right? The picture is misleading but looks awesome. You'll have to hike it to find out what I'm talking about.

Not only was this trail a great hike, I remembered to bring my Garmin Edge 500 and have the data embedded below! If you check it out, the uphill battle was definitely much more of a workout compared to the downhill portion. With that, I've come to the realization that going downhill sucks. It's hard on my knees and isn't as much fun.

From Lake Poway to Mt. Woodson and back! Here's the Garmin Connect Data!

Great Run at Miramar Lake

Waking up sore as heck from the 12 minutes of CrossFit last Saturday with Ryan Espiritu, I couldn't walk in any good posture as my abs weren't fully stretching and my shoulders / arms were in a constant ache. Yes, I know that it means I'm beyond "out of shape", but today was Monday so that meant that running was in the cards. I also wanted to continue the break in period of my Newton Running Shoes that I bought at the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Expo. I didn't run yesterday but had a great time "hiking" up Black Mountain with my mom. It was a way to get my mom walking around again and out of the house and I surely enjoyed the good chats. I didn't know that from my house in PQ to the top was approximately 2.2-3 miles.  To add to the unknown, walking in some 9 year old New Balance Walking shoes wasn't the best idea.   As I walked uphill, it was fine but then downhill was painful. I ended up walking barefoot from the top of Laurentian all the way home.

Back to today, my wife and I woke up in the latter part of the morning, had a good breakfast and lounged around until Jojo came over and hung out for a bit. We decided that we should walk around a bit and made our way to the local Albertson's where we bought Tuesday $3 San Diego County Fair tickets. We stuck to our plans and drove up to Miramar Lake for the 5 mile loop w/ Mary P. I wasn't feeling too well as my soreness was getting the best of me, at the same time, I was just in a so-so mood but I knew that deep down, I needed to run. I need to make it a habit if I really want to start getting serious about some of these races!

Mary brought her friend Rachelle who mentioned that she's more of a boxer and that she doesn't run that often. I said it's awesome and then convinced Mary to start using RunKeeper Pro as its a good way of keeping records. Mary also was running in her KSO Trek Vibrams which are pretty cool.

We chatted, stretched very little and then took off as a group. Adelle started flying ahead of us three while I just fell to a good pace. I kept it going great for about 2.5 miles then needed to walk a bit to wipe the sweat off of my sunglasses. The pace was good all the way through and I could feel myself adjusting to the shoes.

Around mile 4, my right ankle started to ache a bit. I know that I pronate and that the break in period is going to prove to be a little difficult as I transition to being a midfoot / front foot runner but I kept on charging. There were instances where I mentally told myself to push harder and so I did. I kept the pace up, even hung around and paced another guy and finished strong. My sunglasses kept on fogging up good, but in the end, I'm loving my shoes.

Yes, I've already put 10 miles on 'em and I probably should start "breaking" in slower but it's just awesome to get out there and get going. Check out the data below! Well, my Garmin Edge 500 data mysteriously disappeared and cannot be recovered (big failure Garmin!), so with that check out the graphic below from my Nike+ Running page.  Good thing I use two different devices to track my run huh?

Post Marathon Runs

Getting on a redeye the following day after a marathon that you didn't train for isn't necessarily the best way to "recover." During the day, I even did a light jog trying to exchange my season tickets for some awesome seats at the the night's Padre game. Dreading the flight, I wasn't necessarily hurting that much and the flight was relatively easy as I was upgraded to first class. I wore my Injinji Compression socks which helped a lot and found myself walking again with a normal gait. The quads and hamstrings weren't bothering me too much when I got off of the flight which was a good feeling. Tight yes, but limping, no. Well, this last four day trip allowed for two days of running. Tuesday was a straight recovery and it was in Jackson, MS (not MI) so it wasn't like there was an outdoor path or the best of indoor exercise facilities. Wednesday was a fun day. Over 20 hours in Washington D.C. always proves to have some good times and it all started with an awesome lunch. Mentioning "best" and "chinese" to the captain there was no convincing. We headed over to Sichuan Pavilion on K Street and gorged on some awesome Chinese food. We even got 10% off our bill because we had finished and left before 12:30pm! That's what I call a lunch special. I'm always happy when the company I bring enjoy their food. We agreed to head back and hang out at the hotel before the afternoon happy hour so I lounged around a bit up until my planned 15 minute treadmill run; a breaking in of not only my shoes, but my fresh off a marathon legs. Did I mention that I ran the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon?

I put on my brand spanking new Newton Running Shoes and made my way downstairs to the basement. I stretched a little bit and got onto the treadmill at an easy 6.0 then decided that I should run a little faster. I finished with a feel good pace finishing @ 18 minutes w/ 1.94 miles completed. Since I programmed the machine for 15 minutes, it gave me a 3 minute cool down and I increased my speed to 10.0 to try to make it to the 2 mile mark but it forcefully stopped. I got off of the treadmill, stretched, did a few other quick workout but felt great!

I took a quick shower, dressed and headed back downstairs. It was a balmy 98F in DC with an index of 100 or so and after the shower, I was still perspiring like a dog. Mixed in with the heat, I was just soaking. The walk to Georgetown didn't prove any cooler.

The next day, after a long MSP-IAH flight blocking in at just over two hours, I found out that we were next to Memorial Park in Downtown, Houston. After reading reviews, I was convinced that I had to check this course out which clocks in at just under 3 miles. I'm all about running outside and since this was an awesome running trail, why not? I was able to once again easily convince the captain that it was a good idea to sweat it out on the track, in the heat and that I would stay pace with him.

Good stuff all around! As the reviews on yelp pointed out, there are a lot of great athletes of all experience levels and a bunch of shirtless doods. Lots of spandex to be had, you'd think that there was a 5K going on! I decided that I wanted to actually reach the 5K mark and taking it easy on the trail with my Newtons, I was just in for a the loosening up.

After a good 11 min mile, we waited for the van driver to pick us back up and then I proceeded to do 20 mins on the bicycle finishing just over 7 miles. Good stuff! I think I'm on my way to some good workout routines & habits! I'm addicted by the way to working out again! Feeling good and staying fit. Now, only if I can keep a steady diet and do without some of the overeating and indulging that goes on a couple nights a week! =)

San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon....CHECK

Fifty three days before my 30th birthday, I completed my first full 26.2 on Sunday participating in the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. It was awesome. Signing up a couple of months ago, my wife chose to run the half (13.1) while I convinced myself that this was something I would need to do before "growing" old. If you're not interested in reading the details, you can scroll down to the bottom of this post for my Garmin data as well as the official Rock 'n' Roll Results.

Training: None...more or less absent in terms of distance. It was definitely a bad idea and not a bright one to say the least. I had planned on running at a lighter weight (165 lbs. compared to my current 180 lbs. ) and even planned out a running schedule. Those "plans" didn't take. The longest run I would have done would have been the 10 miles the previous Wednesday while using Gu once at the half way point. A couple of weeks of ago, I completed running ~16 miles on the Ragnar Relay but that was during a 24 hour period so I guess that didn't count?! Next time...(if there is another one) I will definitely train appropriately.

Day -1: Drinking lots of water, picking up Runblondie26 and her husband, hanging out at the Expo (buying my first pair of Newton Running Shoes from Ryan, buying some 2XU Calve Guards and officially signing up for the San Diego TriRock), attending a Padres game followed by some carbo loading w/ Bronx Pizza and carne asada fries. I got the gear together, set the coffee maker and went to bed early.

Day 0: Waking up w/ around 7 hours of sleep, I took a shower, dressed and got ready. Eating a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, drinking a can of FRS, and sipping some coffee was it for the pre race meal. Adelle, Lindsay and I walked 1.7 miles from the downtown apartment to the start line arriving a little later than originally planned but it worked out after checking in our gear bags which by the way was really quick and easy. Lining up and finding my 4:45 pace group in corral 23, I awaited the starting gun. About 30 minutes later, looking down at my heart rate monitor on my Garmin Edge 500, I noticed that my adrenaline was pumping 100 bpm. Trying to slow it down and calm myself...it was time and off we went!

The pace leader took off to a great start and I purposely lagged behind. The first four miles flew by like none other and when the fork in the road was coming up for the half marathoners to turn north, I'll admit that it did cross my mind, but on I went toward into Downtown. Running in familiar territory was exciting and easy and when I came around mile 9 onto the 163 freeway, I was feeling like a champ! I happened to run into my sister who was just approaching the four mile marker on her way to completing her first half marathon so that was nice. Now this part of the course was pretty awesome in that the marathon closed both sides of the freeways. Running under the bridges were amazing because I actually got to see and appreciate the structures. Running on the freeway was fun up until the downhill portion came up. The road was uneven and sloped towards my left causing a imbalance in my legs and ankles and it only got worse. That's when I can remember first time thinking about the hot spots and ankle pains. Finally getting back towards on Friars approaching my half way point, I once again felt like I could keep on going. Nothing was going to stop me. I was drinking and maintaining hydration along with Gu's, salt packets and FRS chews...things were dandy.

Did I forget to mention that the sun was now beating down and the heat was picking up. Passing by Rose's Donut Shop, (yes I did think about grabbing one to go) Morena Blvd. would prove to be my nemesis. Around mile 18, the walking would start. It probably started around 16 as my feet just started to feel heavy. With 10K to go, I looked down at my watch and was still on pace. Then, it happened... the pace group passed me. I found myself walking a lot more then finally getting over the bridge towards Mission Bay, I knew I was going to finish it.

Motivation was found all along the course. I ended up walking next to a guy that has been doing the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon since the inception in 1998 and was telling me that only 101 runners remained of the original 20,000. He had a pace watch and he told me that we were still good to go even if with a target of 13 minute miles. Easy right?

I just couldn't get comfortable anymore. That's the bottom line. My calves were fine (thanks 2XU), but my quads, hamstrings as well as feet were just about done. I would force myself here and then and it wasn't until right before Fiesta Island did I give it another go. I got a call from Lindsay (who ran a PR 1:36 half marathon) saying that she was waiting for me at the 5K to go mark and would run with me. That was just awesome. She met me at the beginning of Fiesta Island and off we went. Then I came to a halt. I just couldn't do that much more. I was falling far behind and next thing you know, I'm aiming for 5:30. With .2 to go, my fan group cheered me on, Lindsay broke off and I finished strong. Coming in at 5:24, I can say proudly that I finished. Taking my "official" post race picture, I witnessed a couple getting engaged which was pretty awesome. In face, the guy carried the ring w/ him the entire time while running alongside and finishing with his girlfriend. I walked at a very slow crawl grabbing my gear bag and hopped on the bus back to the trolley then over the car. Good times.

We have runbondie26 all smiles, me with a red vine in my mouth the last .2 miles and me trying to look cool like I still have energy left in me.

Post Run: Once I got home, I took a shower, changed and off we went to grab a Smash Burger. It was good but I couldn't really eat that much. My appetite wasn't all there as my stomach was full fo Gu Gel and whatever other things I was filling up with along the way. When I got home, a little post race ice cream then I crashed for an hour and half. Waking up with a massive, what it felt like hangover associated headache, I hydrated with Gatorade, another can of FRS and got ready for dinner at couples night. I put on more KT tape around my quads and around my feet, and set out. Good times!

Day +1: I woke up feeling good. Sore for sure, but better. Sleep was good, lunch was great and I'm walking again. I hear that I'm suppose to hurt a little more on day +2, but we'll see! I got some great seats for the Padre game, even got a pedicure and ate some good pizza. Yes I said pedicure. At the Padre game, on the way out, I also got a chance to shake hands and snap a photo with the Woz. Yes, the Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and who is a Padre fan through and through! Exciting weekend for sure!

One more week....

EEEkkkkkk.....that's all I can say to my upcoming San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. I was suppose to lose 15 lbs for my "ultimate racing weight" train harder and longer, but not one of those goals really were attained. I know I'm going to get my butt kicked, but if I can keep well nourished and hydrated, I'm sure to finish under 4:59:59 right? One of my best men and his wife, Mrs. Runblondie26 are flying in from Atlanta to run the half marathon. Matt is going to cheer us on and drink beer while Lindsay is going to rock the crap out of it. She recently got sponsored by Snickers Marathon Bar and will be meeting her teammates for the first time here in San Diego. She said that she'll back track and find me along the course and pace me to the finish and that alone is motivation. How awesome is that?! I can't wait for them to come to town! It's been a while since we all hung out together.

Here's a shot from my wedding back in August. Matt is second from the right along with his wife in front of him and standing behind me. Good times are a coming!

One month from now...

I'll have completed my first full marathon (26.2) and can proudly be one of those people that rock the sticker on my car or flight bag, my wife will have her first half marathon in the bag (13.1) and I should be gearing up for yet another sprint triathlon on September 11. (San Diego TriRock) Just in case I haven't mentioned it yet, I'm turning the "big" 3-0 in July and thought that I should run a marathon before then and that's the real reason behind this who fiasco. So far, training has been a hit or miss and up until just recently, I was free from shin splints and "hot feet."  Last night, after running for an hour on the hotel treadmill, I encountered both.  It's a scary thought that I signed up for the full marathon, but with all the positive thinking, I'm going to school it.  Unlike my others out there with a goal of 3:59:59, I'm just adding an hour to that and aiming for nice and "easy" 4:59:59.  I have yet to reach my 60 min 10K and with San Francisco's Centennial Bay to Breakers coming up on May 15th, I'm hoping that it will post as a good "warmup" with all the hills included.

The historic Zazzle Bay to Breakers is a USA Track and Field Certified 12k (7.46 miles).

From sea level at the Embarcadero the course rises steeply along the Hayes Street Hill. Around the 2.5-mile mark runners climb an 11.15% grade between Fillmore Street and Steiner Street. The remainder of the course gradually flows downhill alongside the Panhandle through Golden Park to the Finish Line at the Great Highway.

Here's to my wife and graduating Gonzaga 2011 w/ a Family Nurse Practitioner's degree! I Love ya sweetie!

2011 So Cal Ragnar Relay Post Race Report

Carb load Thursday night at Jack and Ayelet's townhome, drive up to Oceanside to spend the night at Chris' awesome new home, then drive up to Huntington Beach where the start line of the 2011 So Cal Ragnar Relay was setup. Lasagna, spaghetti, salad, friends...little did we know what we were really getting into. We knew the basics; the route, the timing (via an awesome amazingly programmed Google Spreadsheet), the forecasted weather, the big exchanges and where we'd end up but it would be just the beginning of a great trip. I forgot my Garmin Edge 500 at home but instead just relied on Runkeeper Pro on my iPhone 4. As they say, 2 vans, 12 friends, 36 legs, 200.9 miles. When we reached the start line, the registration area was filled with people from all over. Some dressed costumed in elaborate and amazing themes such as Super Mario Bros and some in just underwear w/ suspenders. Their vans also decorated from front to back with markers, pictures and even props glued to the sides...the Ragnar Relay was definitely something else. I picked up a couple of shirts for memorabilia sake, we loaded up on some Protein Shakes and FRS giveaways, and then as 9:45am approached, we stood around and cheered for Chris as he was slated as runner #1. It was exciting!

For some reason, while recording the start with Qik, it came out blue, but for your viewing pleasure, here it is.

After Chris took off for his first 5 mile leg, we set out and made our way to the next exchange. We didn't know the van route and just did the best we could to find the stop. The weather forecast was calling for a dry and hot day and by the time it was my turn at leg #4, it was excruciating. The temperature had risen to around 85 F and I couldn't have gotten more liquid in my body. My exchange was located at Angel's stadium and running along the aqueduct just proved to be that much hotter.

By the time all of Van #1 was done, we met up at the the first major exchange in Corona where the first runner of Van #2 set out. Did I mention that it was hot and very dry? We were able to snap a team photo right after Ryan came in and before Christina took off. If you take a close look, Ryan (on the far left front crouching down) just championed the 2.7 miles downhill literally taking this photo just seconds afterwards.

We had a great opportunity to head to Lake Elsinore where Chris' aunt took us in, cooked some awesome spaghetti and let use use her house as a base for 4 hours while Van 2 did their six legs. Definitely some good spoiling. I even took a shower and rested quite well. I knew that my next leg was going to take place at night and I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive because I had never run that late before or in the dark at all. To top that off, I was running an unfamiliar path with headlamps, taillight and a vest in the middle of Wildomar / Temecula. Throughout the evening, all I could think about was running with a buddy and I found one! A girl from Salt Lake had told me that she was a 10:00 min / miler and I was game. We started out fast and actually made amazing time averaging just under 9:30 min / mile which was on par for a Personal Record (PR). It was an exciting finish for her and I and I was ecstatic that I had found a great person to run with let alone run some of the best I've ever ran. It was chilly too, but I'll admit that when comparing the heat from the earlier leg, I'd definitely take the cold.

Again, after Van 1 had ran their legs, we set out of Chris' house in Oceanside and had about 2.5 hours of sleep / rest until the next major exchange. It was once again a very awesome opportunity that we had that chance to be so close to a base to recover unlike other teams that only had their vans and sleeping bags. After an amazing second leg, I sought out thinking that I could actually finish strong during my third and final leg of the 2011 So Cal Ragnar Relay.

It started to get a little hot and when we approached the Loma Santa Fe Train Station Exchange, the heat was once again at full force. I started off nice and easy as you can see here:

I wound up walking here and there as I couldn't find that personal pace / high that I needed to maintain. The sun was getting the best of me. I knew that the big incline was going to happen sometime in the last mile or two, but boy, the heat coupled with the El Camino Real hill just took the wind out of my sails. I ended up with a 10:50 min / mile moving average which was definitely the opposite of what I forecasted, but I was still happy with it. My team met me at the beginning of the hill which was a great boost and I finished strong sprinting the last bit. I handed my slap bracelet to Charlette and I was done! What a feeling! She attacked Via de la Valle and took a couple of kills too and Ryan would endure Torrey Pines so in the bigger scheme of things, my hill was on the littler side. Props to those two for killing it!

All in all, it was an amazing experience that I wouldn't mind doing all over. In fact, if you're interested in running this race, hit me up! I'm always down for a challenge!

Here's a picture of that awesome medal up close! It's got some weight to it!

I Made it...to the Sheraton!

I've been wanting to do this loop out & back for a while now and I was lucky to be running alongside a Mr. Jack Pham. I started a little too fast (well at least faster than normal = 9:00 pace) and had to take a break at mile 2 but then found the rhythm again and got back to it. My moving average was definitely slower than I would have liked clocking in at 10:36 / mile but I felt good.

Along the way though, the shin splint that I developed on the treadmill the day prior running 3 miles started to tingle and get the best of me. I was also trying to run a little more flatter, which helped out, but ultimately, my legs weren't feeling it. I mentioned to Jack at the end of the run that I felt like the time I finished my first ever 10K / first race without training.

With the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon June 5th just around the corner, I'm starting to get a little scared but I'm starting to definitely pick up the pace. I'm thinking of trying out my older Asics again. I don't remember getting bad shin splints with them as compared to my Lunarglides+ 2s. I can't believe that the Ragnar Relay: So Cal is next weekend either!

End of the Month Run

After four days of cold and bitter weather, I landed in San Diego two nights ago and then immediately prepared for some hot yoga. Being awake for over 17 hours and just coming off of a 4 hour flight isn't necessarily the best way to prep for the hotness, but Adelle and I still went for it. I almost didn't have a choice but none the less, I enjoy it. The following morning, I wake up from a zombie attacking / survival mode dream (yes, I blame the yoga and dehydration status), and am wide awake. Adelle heads out for her shift and I just hang out until I get the will power to head out for my San Diego Harbor Loop. I guess some of you, namely a Mr. Ryan Espiritu, might not consider it a "loop" but I do. I guess you can call it an out and back but and just because I want Ryan to still be my friend, I official concede.

I felt good heading out but I didn't hydrate properly and the sun was definitely beating down on me. The first three miles were great great running at under a 10 minute pace, but then it went to crap. I got a phone call, my headset stopped working for a minute and then when I started to head back, the 11:00 sun got the best of me. I didn't bring any water with me and I wasn't prepared for the heat. I would find a pace runner here and there, but ended up walking more on the way back and could never find the initial stride that I had. Overall, I'd say that I felt like a 6/10 and when I got back to the apartment, I drank and drank, and drank...and now I'm sitting here blogging. Good times all around!

Here are some awesome pictures of the beautiful weather thanks to an awesome high pressure ridge just to the north. You have here the Downtown San Diego skyline with some sailboats scattering the bay and the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the Coronado Bay Bridge. Awesome day for a run!

A Beautiful 10K by the Bay!

After yesterday's 30 minute run on the treadmill, I felt good for another, longer run. I figured out a good route along the bay and plus, Adelle and I could enjoy some San Diego sun. Running from our apartment and finally getting on the Embarcadero, we set out at a good relaxed pace for 3.1 miles.

When we reached our turn around point, we took a quick break, then started our way back. Watching the Garmin, I noticed that Adelle and I ended up running the second half at a slightly slower pace which was a let down, but hey, we have nine weeks right?! I was able to snap this quick pic of Adelle wearing her San Diego Dodge Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Long sleeve training tech shirt and the awesome weather that we got to enjoy! Check it! I was also able to take a quick picture of the Petco Park from the new pedestrian bridge that goes from the stadium to the Hilton. Good stuff all around!

Now what stinks is the GPS readings and recordings. Compare the two maps below and you'll notice that the Garmin Edge 500 didn't "find" me right away even though it said that it captured my location and the sporadic mapping through downtown is a little off. More or less, with the data from Google Maps, my Garmin Edge 500 and my Nike+ Pedometer, I ran a solid 10K.

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