Coyote Hills...check!

Just finished the Coyote Hills Half-Marathon in Fremont, CA and it went very well.  I stayed in Fremont last night at a small and kinda crappy hotel but worth it for only $45.  The race was only about a 15 minute drive from the hotel but everyone had to park a good mile or so away.  I had picked up my packet/bib #1217 on my way to the hotel so this morning all I had to do was pick up my timing chip.  I rolled up to the tents around 8:30 with the race starting at 9:00.  I got my warmup run in on the way over so I stretched and was ready to rock.

The start was delayed about 10 minutes because of how far away everyone had to park.  All the Californians were a bit cold in the 50 degree overcast weather we were experiencing.  I thought it was a perfect day for a run.  The course was somewhat challenging but also fun.  It wasn't too scenic but it had some great views of the bay, some marshes and one HUGE quarry!  It was a 2-loop course meaning we had just over 6 miles the first loop and then did it all over again.  Just at the 6 mile mark was a very annoying half-mile uphill that brought everyone to a standstill.  I kept cruising along keeping a 7:00-7:35 pace on the flats but anywhere between 8-8:45 on the uphills.

This was a rude awakening for what I'm going to be experiencing at the Big Sur Marathon.  My legs do NOT like uphills and are not strong enough yet to really cruise up them like some other very strong runners were doing.  The first half of the race I was running with one guy that kept passing me on the ups and I would pass him on the downs.  He told me he does a lot of hills so I need to start really working the ups in the area.

The same hill we went up just after mile 6 was of course there just after mile 12 but I knew it was coming and even though that didn't make me go up it any faster I was prepared for it mentally.  I did a good job before the steep incline working hard to get up the gradual incline that preceded it and I knew that once I was over this brutal climb the race was pretty much over.  I separated myself from this dbag that was drafting on me throughout miles 11/12 and then as I got to the top I spotted two more guys to overtake on the downhill.

The last tenth of the race was literally straight downhill on rocky terrain and I cruised right past both of them.  The downhill turned to a straight finish and I finished with a classic C Payne sprint to the end.  1:38:07!  I didn't hit my PR but I was still pretty psyched because the course I set my PR on was very flat and I know that if this course had been flat I would have easily beat it.  I was also happy with how I finished and mentally I was strong throughout the entire race.  Physically I felt pretty good and the only issues I was having was a numb right foot (not sure what was going on there) and the occasional pain in the balls of my feet from running on the trails/small rocks.  The shin issues I have been having all week were non-existent.

Along with a great time I also finished 2nd in my age group (25-29).  I'm only in this age bracket for a few more months so I have to take advantage of it.  It's the next step up that is where all of the elite runners are so it'll be tough to medal once I turn the big 3-0 in April.

Good race overall...next one up is a 7-miler at Stinson Beach on Feb. 12.  Hope to see you there!!!

Running out of time!

So I've got 87 days until I turn the big 3-0 and I've started thinking about things that I should try to get done while still in my 20s.  I was reading a bunch of people's lists online and some ideas are just ridiculous and most of them are things I would have planned a long time ago.  I don't really feel like this is necessary because my life is not in any way ending at 30 and in some ways I feel like it is a new beginning, but I can still see what I can fit in.

This past year I have really accomplished a lot of things that may have gone on this list at the beginning of last year, but I'll see what else I can think of.

- Go Paintballing
- Go surfing (Asilomar)
- SCUBA dive in the Pacific Ocean
- Watch the Red Sox in California
- Go ziplining (Santa Cruz)
- Get a tattoo
- Read a book completely unrelated to the Boston Red Sox
- Go sea kayaking
- visit a winery
- hug a redwood
- visit Alcatraz

I'll add more when I can think of things, wish me luck!

Training Days

Just finished day 17 of training and the first week I hit 26 miles, last week only 22 (slacked off one day), and this week's goal is 26 as well.  I've been feeling good but inconsistent and I feel like I'm not running correctly, as if my form is off.  I think it's all just in my head and I need to stop over-thinking it all.  Of course the aches and pains are starting to set in around the shins and hamstrings, a little knee pain but nothing has been unbearable...I've dealt with way worse.

My first race of the season is only a week from Saturday, 1/29 up in Fremont just south of San Francisco.  This will be the first race in a while that I won't have any spectators but I should do fine and will hopefully stay motivated.  It's called Coyote Hills though so I'm a bit weary of the ups but look forward to the downs.  I'll keep you all updated on how the training goes and of course will give you the results of the race.  This fits right into my training schedule because I'm supposed to be doing a 13 mile run that Saturday.  The only difference is that I'll be racing it and not taking it easy like I'm supposed to.

I'm getting new shoes at the end of the week.  I asked the local running store to get me a pair of Saucony Omni 9s and they just came in today so I'll try them out and pick them up on Friday hopefully.  I'm really not feeling my Omni 8s right now and I think they are causing some of my issues, physical and mental.

Oh and as an aside; in case anyone is wondering pitchers and catchers report on February 13th/14th!  It'll be the best Valentine's Day I've had in a LONG time...GO SOX!

Parental Advisory Sticker

I've been meaning to post these videos for weeks! I was recently (and successfully) exposed to the Flight of the Conchords by a friend of mine.  If you don't know these guys are from New Zealand and are ridiculous but are pretty funny.  Some of their skits are just weird but some reach hilarity.

This posting is rated R for language

I was singing this song for weeks after I heard it:

Another one:

Just a couple more:

Check them out online:

http://flightoftheconchords.co.nz/

http://www.hbo.com/flight-of-the-conchords/index.html

17-Mile Drive

Just got back from an excursion along 17-mile drive which I started on in Pacific Grove at that front gate, paying $9.95 to get through.  What an amazing drive!  This drive takes you along the coast and through a cypress forest and ends at Pebble Beach...yes, the Pebble Beach.  There are about 20 named viewing points along the way including coastal vistas and several golf courses, not to mention the unbelievable houses worth millions!

I made several stops for pictures (unfortunately I only had my camera phone) and to use the binocs to look at all the whales I kept seeing offshore.  This week I saw probably 15 whales and even saw some flukes to go along with the spouts!  I'm pretty sure I also saw some dolphins or porpoises as well.

This coastline never ceases to amaze me.  The rocky shorelines and intertidal zones hold life to so many different animals that take cover in the tidepools during low tide.  I went down to the water in one area to check out the anemones, put my feet in the cool 55-degree water, and see if I could find the sea lions I was hearing.  The sea lions were offshore a bit on a group of rocks but I saw a bunch of anemones and hermit crabs.

The most famous point on this drive is the Lone Cypress that stands with support from a cable to help keep it from falling.  This tree is over 200 years old and is the symbol of the Pebble Beach area.  

The drive ends at Pebble Beach where along with the monumental golf course are some shops and restaurants.  To think of the names that have walked on this land is dumbfounding.  There are several plaques in honor of these great men that have played on this course.

Simply put one of the most amazing drives I've ever been on!  This area keeps getting better.

Point Awesomeness

I love California.  Monterey is great and all, but the real amazement is in the surrounding areas of Monterey Bay.  I drove down to Point Lobos after a crappy 5 mile run yesterday.  Point Lobos is my new favorite spot in the area.  It has a wide variety of plants and animals and is a great environment for recreational activities such as running, hiking, and SCUBA diving.  Check out the website to see what it has to offer!

http://www.pointlobos.org/home

I got there a bit after 3:00 and started walking down the first path on the right, just passed the entrance to the park.  Only a few hundred yards down the path I saw about six deer just hanging out feeding in the woods.  I stood there and watched as these beautiful animals quietly engaged in their natural behaviors not more than ten feet from me.  I believe these are black-tailed deer and I watched them for about ten minutes until some other people walked up the path and the deer started moving deeper into the woods.  They did not startle immediately though as I would have expected, instead they just gracefully worked their way off the path.

I also saw some cool looking mushrooms:

And a giant rat's nest (Dusky-footed woodrat):

It's there, I swear!

The path was about a third of a mile down to the water where it then split.  I went left and stumbled upon Whalers Cove and the Whalers Cabin Museum, a small little hut with some artifacts and natural history on whaling at this particular location and in general in Monterey Bay.  Just down from the museum is a boat launch and an entrance for divers.  There are supposedly a bunch of great underwater pinnacles and I cannot wait to get in there and find them!  

From Whalers Cove I walked up a bunch of stairs to another overlook where I stayed put and started looking through my binoculars out to the coast.  Two puffs...what???  Two more puffs...it was a really choppy, somewhat windy day with many whitecaps, but I was SURE I saw something.  I kept looking through the binocs and then NO WAY I just saw two whale spouts probably a mile from me but only a few hundred yards off the far point.  I didn't actually see the whales but I've seen enough whale spouts in my life to know what I was looking at!  Pretty cool stuff, this place is amazing and I'll definitely be heading back soon either to hike or run, but in general to spend more time there because I only had about an hour plus of daylight.

Check out some pics (not of whales) but of the scenery:

I saw the whales just off those two small rocks

Training Season is Here

It's that time of year again and with three races over the next 7 weeks I've gotta get my butt in gear.  Training season for me usually starts either around Jan/Feb and ends at the end of October.  I give myself a break over the holidays.  Day 1 was yesterday, Jan 2nd with a nice easy 3 mile run and as always I hate the first week of training.  I haven't consistently ran in a while and my body always hates the jumpstart stage in week one.  After this week though I will get back into the swing of things and all of those aches and pains will go away for a little while.

All of this training and my first three races are all leading up to the Big Sur Marathon on May 1st.  I'm running two half-marathons (Jan 29 and Feb 19) and one 7-miler on Feb 12th.  I haven't run back to back weekly races since college so I'm pretty excited about it.  It will be a great way for me to get motivated and find that competitive spirit to help me push through March and April.  I've only ever ran one full marathon and it took a major toll on my body and mind pre and post-race.  My training is 17 weeks this time instead of only 12 last time.  I think this will help me out in the long run and hopefully I won't have as many injuries over the last few weeks.

This of course also means cutting back on junkfood and increasing my calorie intake as well as keeping a sane, sober mind throughout it all.  I'm sure I'll be giving you updates as I go along!