Weekly running tally - ending July 12, 2009

Below is my training log for the period ending on Sunday, July 12, 2009. I felt good overall!

Date	Time	Mileage	Min per Mile	Observations	HR Max	HR Ave
July 6, 2009	41:11	6.1	6:45	Longest run yet post-surgery. I felt good and pushed it pretty hard.	173 (93%)	158 (84%)
July 7, 2009	31:30	4.77	6:35	I ran harder tonight. It was a struggle but I averaged a great pace. I feel my body getting stronger and my legs.	170 (91%)	152 (81%)
July 8, 2009	33:09	5.06	6:32	Another fast-paced run. It didn't feel like I was going that fast.	169 (90%)	154 (82%)
July 9, 2009	26:13	4.01	6:31	I did a shorter run since I stopped and did some push ups at Irvine Terrace Park.	173 (93%)	155 (84%)
July 11, 2009	36:07	5.5	6:33	It was hotter than usual at 8:30 when I started. I ran from the shop where I got my brakes done. I was in San Diego for the weekend so I ran from University Heights to Mission Hills. It explains my higher heart rate.	177 (95%)	165 (88%)
July 12, 2009	32:53	5.05	6:30	Fastest pace run yet. I was only going to do 4 miles but felt good. I think since it was hot I ended up	174 (93%)	160 (86%)
Week ending July 12, 2009	---	30.49	---	A solid week overall. I was glad I ran 6 days. I need to really be consistent. I am going to try to do an 8-9 mile run next weekend. Building up...	172.6 (92%)	157.3 (84%)

I went to San Diego for the weekend and it was really nice to just sit by the pool at the house in Mission Hills I was staying at. I was helping my friend Justin dog sit. I always love dog sitting at this house since it is just so spacious and amazing with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths. The European kitchen is so great to cook in. There is a den in the back of the house that has French doors that open to the triangle-shaped pool. It's currently on the market for well over $2 million! Oh and there are lemon and grapefruit trees on the property.

In the front of the home it has a "great room" that features a panoramic view of Mission Valley and the golf course. On the second floor you can slightly see the ocean, which is about 5 miles away. Someday I will have a home like this. Well, I think I need to change my career if I am going to make the kind of money to be able to afford a multimillion dollar home. Or J**** needs to make a lot of money with his job. He stands a better chance than I, but I am going to start playing the lottery once a week.

Weekly Running Tally ending July 6, 2009

This week I felt more tired than usual on my runs. I ran two days less, I was aiming for 5 days but ran only 4. J*** was in town so I wanted to spend more time relaxing. I was shocked I did a run at 6:33 pace. I did have a scare on one of the runs when I felt a sharp pain in my left knee. I think I just need to not push as hard on the uphills. I found a hill on Seadrift Avenue near Irvine Terrace Park that is moderately challenging. No real pain in the abdomen. Today I ran 6.1 at 6:45 pace for my longest run yet post-surgery. I will be posting that in the log at the end of the week. Below is the latest log:

Date	Time	Mileage	Min per Mile	Observations	HR Max	HR Ave
June 29, 2009	30:38	4.49	6:49	It was a Monday run. I felt ok. Worked in some hills. Average HR was good. Trying to keep it around 80% of max.	166 (89%)	151 (81%)
July 1, 2009	31:04	4.57	6:47	Ran after a long day at work. I was tired and my HR showed it. I had to work extra hard to keep pace.	176 (94%)	156 (83%)
July 3, 2009	32:20	4.83	6:38	Wow, this was a tough run. I was breathing pretty hard. I pushed it a bit too much I think I felt a twinge in my left knee. I had to stop. It went away though.	174 (93%)	155 (83%)
July 4, 2009	29:52	4.55	6:33	Wow, my fastest pace yet. I was so in the mood to just get it over with. Happy 4th of July!	173 (93%)	155 (84%)
Week ending July 5, 2009	---	18.44	---	Trying to get at least 25 miles next week. I will try to run 6 days but pace slower. I don't want to overdo it.	172.2 (92%)	154 (83%)

J***'s visit was great. We did a lot. We went over to the Balboa Peninsula a bunch of times. The night he came in we took the Balboa ferry and ate at The Newport Landing on Thursday for their $1 tacos. We each had 4. They were good. It was super busy though and lots and lots of high school kids. I forgot what it is like to be a teenager. The kids in SoCal seem very spoiled though, much different than Boston teens.

Friday we didn't lay out on a beach but drove 2 miles over to Corona Del Mar, a section of Newport Beach. It has many cute shops and restaurants. We at at Thai Del Mar, a small place on Pacific Highway (PCH). We both had the lunch special for $6.99 but it was not enough food. I was left hungry and had to immediately eat a whole wheat bagel at Bruegger's across the street afterward.

We attempted to drive to Balboa Island and park my car, but there was not a single space left on the island. Yes, we made the grave mistake of actually driving off the island during 4th of July weekend. My roommate actually assumed we had walked to Corona Del Mar. So after 20 min of not finding a space we decided to head to Fashion Island up the road and check out some stores and walk around. We then parked in a neighborhood nearby and walked went to Corona Del Mar State beach. We took photos of The Wedge from afar. Waves can get insanly big there (up to 15 feet high). They were only 3-4 feet last weekend though.

Saturday we ended up taking the ferry again and going to the Balboa peninsula beach for a few hours. It was a perfect day with perfect sun. I didn't bring my boogie board since I don't think I am ready to do that just yet post-surgery. My abs still feel sore inside where the incisions were. We did go into the very COLD water though. The waves crash close so you can get pounded pretty easily. For lunch we initially headed to Great Mex for some great Mexican food. We were going to go on Friday, but it was way too busy and no places to sit. We then walked down the Pier and saw the over-priced menu items at the Ruby's diner. Later that night we want to Shanghai Pine Garden on the island for some great Chinese food. I had the steamed chicken and veggies with a garlic sauce on the side and J*** had shrimp with string beans and rice. The prices were $9-$11 for a lot of food. Granted, it's not the most fancy place, but it's convenient and good.

Sunday we went down to hike at El Moro Canyon at the Crystal Cove State Beach. We opted for the 3.1 mile loop since we were hungry and doing the 4-6 mile option was not going to be an option. In the future I would like to do a very long hike there. It's a nice workout with very steep inclines and declines. After grabbing some salads at Trader Joe's we headed to the Cystal Cove State Park's beach at Pelican Point, which is very nice. The $10 fee for doing the hike got us into the beach parking area too. Not a bad deal if you do both activities.

J*** left this AM and then I went into work early. I will miss him! I stayed until 6PM per usual. I become unproductive mid-day and then I get a lot done from like 3-6 so I just go with it. I should have left earlier since I came in at 7:30AM! Anyway, I am tired now and will go to bed.

Weekly Running Tally - ending June 28, 2009

Each Sunday I will do an entry that will add up all my runs for the previous week and post my thoughts on my progress. My goal is to be in marathon shape by mid-October. I am contemplating doing the Long Beach Marathon on Oct 11 this year. Click here to see my training log from when I did the 2005 Long Beach Marathon. I believe I can do it if not other injuries surface between now and then. My current injuries seem to have subsided. I don't have a pain in my Achilles anymore and I don't have that stubborn pain in my hamstring that has haunted me since Dec 2007 and caused me to not run a marathon in all of 2008 and so far this year (missed Rock n Roll San Diego Marathon and Boston Marathon this year. I have my fingers crossed for a healthy recovery.

Date	Time	Mileage	Min per Mile	Observations
June 22, 2009	31:25	4.2	7:20	First Run post-appendectomy. It felt like my insides were gong to fall out of me. It was painful but I made it through. HR max=172 BPM (91% of max), HR ave=151 (81% of max).
June 22, 2009	32:44	4.8	6:47	What a difference a day makes. I was 30 seconds faster per mile on this run and I felt a lot better. Not much abdominal pain. My heart rate reached a very high level. Probably due to running so much faster just a day later. Maybe the watch was off too. HR max=179 BPM (96% of max), HR ave=159 (85% of max)
June 25, 2009	28:08	4.0	7:02	I ran in the morning today since I had something to go to after work. I had a pain in my right leg that felt like radiating nerve pain. It went away after about 8 minutes. HR max=175 BPM (94% of max), HR ave=158 (84% of max).
June 26, 2009	33:47	4.83	6:58	Longest run yet. I still had the pain in my right leg but it went away after about 6-7 min of running. I ran along Bayside and into some private seaside neighborhoods. HR max=187 BPM (100% of max), HR ave=149 (80% of max).
June 27, 2009	31:09	4.56	6:49	I ran in the mid-morning since it was Saturday. I got the nerve pain slightly, not as bad but it was still there. It went away after 5 min of running. HR max=178 BPM (95% of max), HR ave=159 (85% of max).
June 28, 2009	29:04	4.35	6:40	Fastest run yet. I felt good. I ran on a sunny, Sunday afternoon. I added a hill that was about .3 miles long. I felt strong. No abdominal pain and not much nerve pain. I stretched a lot before, that probably helped. HR max=171 BPM (91% of max), HR ave=158 (84% of max).
Week Ending June 28, 2009	---	26.74	---	Not bad for considering I had my appendix taken out on June 9!

In other non-running news, yesterday I had a great time hanging out with my friend Newell. We took the Balboa Island Ferry over to the peninsula and boggie boarded. The waves crash very close to shore so basically you drop 2-3 feet each time you catch a wave. The positive is that you can ride many waves. The negative is that you can get hurt and it's very voilent if you catch a wave the wrong way.

I got thrown down by a wave that crashed directly behind me (I was trying to avoid the wave) and bruised my arm and slammed by butt on the sand underwater. Water went up my nose and in my ear. It was ok though. I stopped boarding at that point. I noticed you have to use your abs a lot for paddling to catch waves so since I am still sore and my doctor said I cannot do any type of ab exercises I called it a day and laid out on the beach. I hope to board some more when J**** comes into town on Thursday for the holiday weekend.