To Tri or Not

I've been thinking for a long time about doing a sprint triathlon. A couple days ago, an opportunity presented itself to do an olympic triathlon in Orlando, Florida with a friend out there. Having never done even a sprint, I'm sure you can understand my concern about doing twice that in a standard tri. Plus it's in July... hot. as. hell. Anyone done a tri who can give me some advice? (Like, do I really need to buy one of those unitard things? And am I crazy for thinking I can train enough to swim 1.5km-- in alligator infested waters no less-- by July?)

In other news, I ran a new part of Mission Trails today. A friend and I started at the Equestrian Staging Area and, from what I can tell on the map, ran part of the Grasslands Crossing Trail, Spring Canyon Trail and possibly some of the North Perimeter Trail. The wild flowers are blooming in brilliant force right now--it's really quite beautiful in the sagey-brushy way the desert landscape can be; however, the creeks are drying up fast--which makes for easier crossing but not as much acoustical satisfaction.

It's been fun discovering new parts of the San Diego "wild." I say "wild" because it's hard to feel totally in the wild when the trail you're on goes under the 52 freeway. And yet, those little, black-winged bugs that stick to your face or go up your nose, and all those sunbathing snakes and lizards, and that God-only-knows-Creature thrashing in the bushes...all make the wild feel very real and a little bit scary. Yes, it's a fun juxtaposition.

What I really need to do is invest in some good trail shoes if I'm going to continue running such places. From what I hear, it makes a huge difference...and seeing as how I rolled both ankles going down steep, narrow trails today, it's probably true. (Not all things are consumer gimmicks, Asha.)

So to wrap it up: It's hot out there. If you're a trail runner, do watch out for rattlesnakes; they are getting more aggressive in Southern California right now because their territory is getting scarce. Luckily we didn't see any today, but a hiker we came across on the trail warned of a couple snakes we were heading toward, so we picked a different route. Also-- wear that sunblock! (Is it just me, or does it seem like it only takes about eight seconds to get a sunburn these days?)

Tomorrow I'm doing a road run with a friend who just ran a marathon in under 4 hours. INsane. My goal is to keep up with her... steps to getting faster. Probably going to be painful.

Keep on truckin'

Reasons why running is better than...

...Cycling: It won't give you a bladder infection.

...Swimming: It won't give you swimmer's ear.

Yes. I'm just one big infected mess since I started biking/crosstraining more. Well, that's over. No more "dark side" for me, (Pauline). I'm back in the right state of mind. My priorities are set. Run more. Run faster. Lay off the freakin' bikes.

What is it about running that you prefer over other forms of exercise?

Today I Received...

the postcard to pick up my bib for the La Jolla Half Marathon...
yep.

Every Step and Second Matters

Now that I care about my speed, I'm suddenly paying more attention to speed buzz words like "running economy," "split times," "negative splits," "tempo," the list goes on and on, but I'll stop there for now.

When I compared my GPS'ed time and distance of my last half marathon against the official chip time, this is what I found:

GPS Distance: 13.19 (note: this is a tad more than a 1/2 marathon)
GPS Avg Pace: 8:59
Finish Time: 1:58:35

Chip Distance: 13.1
Chip Avg Pace: 9:03
Finish Time: 1:58:32

As you can see, according to my GPS, I ran an extra 10th of a mile which translates to about 150 steps (Yes, I just GPS'ed that around the block thankyouverymuch). That might not seem like much energy and time wasted, but it was the difference between me breaking out of the 9 minute pace box. (The 3 second time difference didn't change my pace...I checked. It takes about 10 seconds to change one second of the overall pace in a 1/2 marathon.) The chip does not take into account how many people you have to weave in and out of to keep pace. The chip also doesn't take into account those turns you have to take wide because you got caught on the outside.

Since I'm now a secondmonger, I decided to turn to my good friends at Runner's World for the answers on keeping pace, saving energy, and shaving seconds off each split. Here's the link to, "Small is Bountiful."

The article starts by discussing training techniques and then moves on to describe what to do in races. If you don't want to read the whole article here's what I found most interesting and applicable:

Relax your face: grimacing signals to your body that something is wrong and you're not feeling well. Keep a relaxed expression and the rest will follow.

Go for the last water table: all the newbies tend to bottleneck at the first water station table.

Cut the corners: races are measured by the most efficient line through turns... don't swing wide if you can help it.

Buy racing flats: the few extra grams of weight really do make a difference--about a second per mile (sometimes more).

If you follow all the tips listed in the article, it's possible to knock up to 2 1/2 minutes off your time. For some runners (like those elite ones) that's half a mile! For someone like me it's about a quarter mile.

Today's running and life lesson: Make every step count.

Oh the Possibilities

I decided last minute to run the OC (Orange County) Half Marathon yesterday. I signed up last Wednesday and it was a whirlwind week, so I have many blogs to read and get caught up on now... but it was worth it.

I wasn't looking forward to doing another half marathon after the La Jolla just one weekend prior (and physically it was not a wise decision); however, a good friend from Rhode Island flew out to run it and I couldn't see myself doing the whole drive-around-and-cheer thing...so I ran too. I'm glad I did because I finally broke 2 hours! Speediness is in sight!

Before yesterday I couldn't imagine myself running faster than a 9:30 pace.

Now I can
Imagine it
and
Believe it.

Race Pace (according to my GPS, not chip time--which I still need to look up) was an 8:59. Just barely broke out of the 9's!
This success means it's official: the time has come for me to decide which running club to join...

My research has come up with:

The Hash House Harriers: The self-proclaimed drinking club with a running problem. Could be fun... but not the type of puking I'm looking for, I think.

Team in Training: A really good cause and I envy those who can raise all that money, but I don't think I'm ready for that sort of commitment yet. I'm still too selfish.

Team VAVi Run Club: Don't know much about it--but am beginning to research it. Looks more social than pace-oriented...but the price is right. They are currently sold out and not advertising for any upcoming races. So... a "no" for now.

San Diego Track Club: Most likely the club I will choose. Someone told me the coaches (or maybe the other runners?) are mean. That's exactly what I need... someone to yell at me and tell me to stop being a baby. Run harder.

I don't need a drink. I don't need a friend. I need speed if I'm ever to going to attempt qualifying for Boston.

Discussion question: What do you need from your runs?

Next weekend: Cinco de Mayo Trail Race 10K
Then I think I should back off of the races for while...save my money and my joints for the track club.

Keep on truckin' my friends.