Mt Pinos Hike & Biweekly Running Recap

Week of July 8th: A.K.A. 7 days of moving-- but not much running.
Monday:  12 mile bike ride/14.1 mph

Tuesday: 3.32 mile hilly run. +542’, 10:01 avg pace.

Wednesday: 2 mile easy run w/Dan.

Thursday: 3 mile XC Summer Series, Week 1. I ran this last year. Course is slightly different than last year to accommodate the track re-build, but it is still half road/half dirt and hilly.  Ran it in 25:08 which placed me at approximately 339/~573 runners.  +~181’, 8:22 pace. First place runner finished in 15:52.

Friday: 1.58 mile run down the hill and back up. +321’.

Saturday:  9.8 mile hike in Los Padres National Forest. +2263’. Elevation was noticeable and ranged between 8300’ and 8829’. 

Temperatures were near 100 degrees at home, but was probably about 20 degrees cooler up here with shade from the tall pines and a nice cool breeze.  Fun fact: Mt Pinos is the highest point in the Los Padres National Forest.  We had nice views of the Central Valley and other parts of the National Forest.

Mount Pinos  & Sawmill Mountain:

^Final ascent

Sunday: 9.6 mile easy bike ride/11.9 mph. Needed to shake out the legs.

Week of July 15th:

Monday: I don’t normally count dog walks, but… 30 minute dog walk?

Tuesday AM: 3.6 miles/avg pace 9:29
Tuesday PM: Speed work… on a real track! 6x[600m, 200m rest] in: 2:47, 2:47, 2:47, 2:40, 2:48, 2:48 . Total of 4.7 miles with warm up and cool down.

Wednesday: 50 minute dog walk

Friday: 4 miles. +715’, avg pace 9:52

Saturday night.  This is how I prepared for my Sunday long run:

Sunday: 12 miles. +622’, avg pace 9:40.

One of these was going on over the weekend:

All shoes were $40 on Friday (and got down to $25 on Sunday), but I exercised restraint.  Besides, they didn’t have my beloved Tempo in my size…and I recently got a new pair.  I did, however, pick up a $15 tank (one that I was about to buy on Running Warehouse!) and a $7 hat. Folks from my running group found some Bostons and Adios(es?) in their sizes…good deal.

  

That’s all I’ve got. 
This concludes my last post as a 29 year old. Tuesday I turn 30. Yikes.

New 10k PR

Let’s start with July 4th.  I ran a 10k.  I wanted to run a race because it’s been a while (March?) but was also dreading it for a number of reasons:

1. It has been ridiculously hot. Triple digits and humidity. It’s not supposed to be humid here.
2. I have felt sluggish during my speed work and tempo runs.
• Possibly worth noting that these runs have not been on flat ground.
3. The 10k race course runs on the bike path where my running group has been doing speed work while the track is rebuilt.
• Speed work is extra unpleasant at 6pm when the temperature is still in the 90s.
• Therefore this part of the bike path is now always unpleasant.
4. I only want to run a race if I’m going to try for a PR. Or run on trails.
• Last year I ran a 53:27
• Last year’s 8:36 pace didn’t sound so easy to beat when tempo runs have felt slow.
• I am sure I will have to adjust this race mentality as I get older and slower.

I surprised myself and ran a 52:03, which was an 8:23 average pace.  Miraculously, 1st in my age group out of 8.  Not sure where the other 15 people from my age group at last year’s race disappeared to.  30th female out 115 and 91st overall of 238.  If this race occurred one month later when I’ll be 30… I would not have placed in my age group. Women 30-34 are FAST around here.

The course wasn’t exactly flat. That gradual uphill in the second half is very noticeable especially as the sun is starting to feel hotter on you on this fully exposed course.

Which must explain my paces…  8:19-8:20 pace for the Down Half. I don’t think I have ever run this consistently over a 3 mile distance.  And then I did it again. 8:38-8:39 for the Up Half. 

I looked at my watch when it beeped every mile but otherwise tried to just zone out and run, paying attention to effort level until I hit 6 miles and could see the finish line, then it was go-time.  I brought music, which I don’t normally do.  But I remembered being annoyed by the slapping of a nearby runner’s Teva sandals last year and didn’t think I could handle that again.

       

I wasn’t the only one decked out in red, white and blue:

Week of June 24:
Monday: 5.35 mi tempo run on rolling hills, avg pace 8:33. With cool down: 6.06 miles.

Tuesday: Arrived late to 3x 1 Mile repeats. So I got in .75 mi at a 7:40 pace, then a mile at 8:03 and a mile in 7:48. 2-3 minutes in between. Total: 4.74 miles.

Wednesday: 7.06 mi bike ride, avg 14.2 mph.

Friday: 1.94 mile “easy” run, +283’.

Saturday: 10.13 miles, avg pace 9:21, +395’.

Sunday: Rest. Retreated to the ocean where, at 85 degrees, it was 25 degrees cooler than home.

Week of July 1:
Monday AM: 4.25 mi at 8:47 avg pace on rolling hills. With cool down: 5.13 miles total. (+915’!?)
Monday PM: 2.05 flat, easy miles with Dan.

Thursday: 10k in 52:03.

Saturday: I ran down the hill to get donuts then brought them back home. Seriously. 1.58 miles and +321’.

Sunday: 10.02 miles, avg pace 9:34. + ~500’.

More Running Stats & Gratuitous Trail Pics

Week of 6/10
Monday: 1.5 mile “easy” run on hills. By easy I mean 341’ of elevation gain and slow as hell pace.

Tuesday: 2 sets [5x400m, 400m Rest]. Total 6.61 miles.
First set: 1:51, 1:53, 1:50, 1:46, 1:46
Second set: 1:53, 1:49, 1:46, 1:45, 1:43

Wednesday: 7 mi bike ride, easy 13.2mph

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 2.86 mi, avg pace of 8:53, +158’.

Saturday: 13.91 miles on trails. Freaking tough trails.  Yes, it took 2 hours and 52 minutes, but I also climbed 3,056’. Around mile 7 we came to a critical decision point: go back up the way we came down (steep) or go up the shorter yet steeper way. You can see which way we chose. Basically if we were already going to have to hands-on-our-quads-hike up anyway, might as well get it over with sooner.

If I remember how to do math right (Rise over run! See, middle school math IS important), 6.97 mi/1357’ –--> 8.18 mi/2508’ works out to be an 18% grade.

  

  

  

  

Sunday: Rest. I replenished my depleted muscles with In-N-Out.

Week of 6/17
Monday: 2.28 easy miles on the flattish bike path. Avg pace 9:27. My quads were hungover from Saturday’s trail run.

Tuesday:
AM: 2.26 easy miles on the flattish bike path. Avg pace 9:06.
PM: 2x(1200m, 800m, 400m) w/400m recovery, and a few minutes between sets. Total: 5.12 miles.
1200s in 5:50, 5:49.  800s in 3:28, 3:33.  400s in 1:43, 1:48.

Wednesday: 7 miles on bike, avg 13.9 mph

Thursday: 4.46 mi. Attempted tempo run on rolling hills. 3.71 miles at the following paces: 8:42, 9:00, 8:27, 8:22 (.71 mi). Then a .75 mile walk/run uphill cool down.  +676’.

Friday-Sunday: No running or biking, but I did walk my buns off in San Francisco.  My husband had been up there all week for a conference, and I was able to join him for the weekend.  Mini post on that to follow.

3 Week Recap

Begin Boring Running Stats. I’m including elevation gain because my runs are not flat unless I’m at the track so I think that deserves some extra credit.  I’ve decided there is NO SUCH THING as an easy run here. I threw in some hiking pictures to make it pretty.

Let’s Rewind to the week of 5/20.

Monday: 3.34 easy (slow) miles on hills.  I attempted to keep my HR low and that required walking. Avg pace 11:33, +537’.
Tuesday: 5 miles at the track incl: 300m in 1:16, 600m in 2:49, 2x800m in 3:39. 2x100m in 4:52, 4:45.
Wednesday: 7.15 mi bike ride @14mph.
Thursday: Easy 5.09 mi on trails. Avg pace 10:56, + 615’.
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 10.43 mi. Avg pace 9:13, flattish.
Sunday: Hike in Placerita Canyon with my husband’s brother & his wife visiting from the Ohio! 7.5 mi, +1901’. 

Week of 5/27

Monday: Rest (a.k.a. Memorial Day Grilling and Sangria)
Tuesday: Went to track but there was a HS graduation!  Went to the bike path instead and braved 45 mph winds and a face full of dust to run 4.2 miles with 4 mi @ avg pace of 8:18.
Wednesday: 9.25 mi bike ride @13.5 mph
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 7.5 mi hike, +1686.’ Ventured into the desert to hike to Devil’s Chair with the Ohioans.  We’ve done this one before.

  

     

  
^Little cloud-looking thing peeking from behind the rocky ridge in the left half of the photo is the smoke plume from the “Powerhouse fire” 40 mi NW of here.

Saturday + Sunday: No running. The nearby fire grew quickly since it started Thursday afternoon and resulted in visible smoke in the air and ash on…everything outside.   Saturday we headed further south to be able to spend time outside in cleaner air.  Here are pictures of the smoke plume visible from around town on Saturday morning.

  

I decided to heed the air quality warnings and did not exert myself outdoors.  Followed by whining and complaining to my husband that it had been too long and I was forgetting how to run. Instead of running, I spent the time following the fire online, and worrying about how much damage it was doing.  Constructive, I know. Interesting pictures here and  here and here.

Week of 6/3

Monday: Only had time for 2.4 easy miles on hills before work. 10:57 avg pace, +533’.
Tuesday: 5.3 mi trail run in the morning. 11:23 avg pace, +1125’.
Night: 4.27 mi of speed work involving some 5ish 800s.
Wednesday: 3.09 mi in my hilly neighborhood. 10:12 avg pace; +502’.  I swear it felt easier at night than it does in the morning.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 9.26 mi bike ride @14mph
Saturday: 10.73 mi at 9:21 pace, flattish (+232’).
Sunday: Rest

And to end with pictures…Molly made up a new game that involves bringing all her stuffed animals outside, one by one, to lie in the grass with her.