Week 29: Day 7

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6:45am) = 3.25 miles; 33:01, pace @ 10:10
• hiking (@ 9am) = 7 miles roundtrip; 3 1/2 hours total (includes rest breaks)
• Ben Overturff Trail, Monrovia Canyon Park

Total Weekly Run Mileage: 6.48
Total Monthly Run Mileage: 43.96
Total Shoe/Year Run Mileage: 113.79

Decided that I would go hiking with a hiking meetup group (first hike with any meetup groups or any groups for that matter). Of course, this was after running three miles! Because I'm crazy. If I can run 13 miles, I can certainly walk/hike another seven miles after running three. Normally, I don't notice my quads burning and hurting when I'm running up and down hills, but they were definitely getting a work out during this hike with a difficulty level of moderate. I've done hikes before, but none were moderate level. I figured I would do ok because I can run half marathons and I just recently finished a 10K race (that was also on semi-strenuous). Click here to view some photos I had taken during the hike.

Week 29: Day 6

cardio:

• karate (@ 12pm) = 1 hour

I did go to the second karate class, although I did a lot of nothing instead.

Tomorrow, I plan to running in the morning because the weather will be sunny (I hope) and very cold. I like running when it's sunny and very cold.

Week 29: Day 5

strength training:

• yoga (@ 9:30am) = 1 hour

I usually like to go running in before yoga on Fridays. I didn't feel like running this morning, but I did get a good work out in yoga though.

Week 29: Day 4

cardio:

• turbo kickboxing (@ 8:30am) = 1 hour

We had a fill-in teacher in TKB this morning. I already knew who it was because I checked the schedule last week and if it was a different fill-in, I wouldn't have showed up for class. We had this fill-in teacher a few months ago. He was the only fill-in who actually came back at all to fill in, and he was/is the only fill-in that I actually liked. His style of teaching is good, but a different kind of good than our regular teacher and I feel motivated to exercise when he's there. I don't feel motivated enough to be in class when we have other fill-ins, even though I stick it through to the end.

Week 29: Day 3

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 7:29am) = 3.24 miles; time = 33:29, pace @ 10:18
• karate = 2 hours
•  first (beginners) class = 7pm to 8pm
• second (intermediate) class = 8pm to 9pm

I'm 95% better as far as being sick is concerned, thanks to much needed sleep, so I felt ok to run, although it could have been nice had my motivation been "running" high. I haven't ran since last Tuesday since my ankle injury. I pulled a ligament connecting my shin and my ankle, adding pain to my shin last week, so I didn't run just so I could to let it heal. While it doesn't hurt anymore, it didn't feel quite right when I went running this morning. My average pace was surprisingly better than I thought considering I haven't ran in a week and my motivation was ok. I'm not sure if I'm going to run on Friday morning before yoga...I want my shin to get better and heal, but at the same time, I want to run and make my shin stronger again.

Week 29: Day 2

strength training:

• pilates (@ 9:30am) = 1 hour

I ended up not running before pilates class just because I didn't feel like it. I had plenty of fluids (about one and a half gallons of water) yesterday, and I had all morning before pilates to hydrate. Apparently, I didn't hydrate well enough this morning because I felt dizzy in class within ten minutes.

Week 29: Day 1

cardio:

• karate (@ 7pm) = 1 hour

Didn't make it to the gym this morning. All I wanted to do was sleep. While I'm still sick, I'm feeling a lot better than yesterday and Saturday. Oh, how I love sleep. I felt well enough for karate training. I'm going to attempt running and pilates tomorrow morning.

Week 28: Day 6

cardio:

• karate (@ 12pm) = 1 hour

I only made it to one class of karate because I am sick now. I didn't have enough energy for the second class. I don't know how I got sick or who got me sick. I felt totally fine and normal during yoga yesterday. An hour or so after yoga ended, I was hit with a full blown cold. I wasn't within three feet of anyone in yoga or at the gym. I was at a mini photoshoot on Thursday evening and it was cold...maybe I got sick because of the change of temperature and weather. Rainy and cold, then nice and sunny and warm for a day. Now it's cold and rainy. Blah!

Week 28: Day 5

strength training:

• yoga (@ 9:30am) = 1 hour

I could have taken the bike to the gym, but I just didn't feel like it. There were some poses/moves in yoga that bothered my shin/ankle, but it wasn't so bearable. At least, it was more bearable than jumping around on my shin/ankle.

Week 28: Day 4

cardio:

• turbo kickboxing (@ 9:30am) = 1 hour

So I injured my left ankle in karate training last night while grappling/wrestling. It didn't hurt as much as the first time last year (January or February?), though. I decided that I would go to TKB class this morning, but realized that it was a bad mistake because my shin was hurting from a pulled ligament related to my ankle injury. My shin can't handle polymetrics and I guess I'll have to skip out on running tomorrow morning. I'll still do yoga tomorrow, but running may be a bad idea if I can't handle jumps and anything high impact. My shin feels totally fine when I'm walking though.

Week 28: Day 2

cardio:

• road run (@ 7:00AM) = 4.19 miles, time = 43:45, pace @ 10:26

strength training:

• pilates (@ 9:30AM) = 1 hour
• yoga (@ 8:30PM) = 1.25 hours

This morning, I woke up to a light drizzle. I almost went back to bed. After one hour of laying in bed and not being able to go back to sleep until it was time to get ready for pilates, I managed to muster up enough motivation to run. I debated about taking the bike to the gym and back, but I didn't feel ambitious enough with the amount of cardio in such a short time span.

We had a fill-in teacher in pilates today. He taught traditional pilates which was quite different than what I was used to. I suppose Pilates Fusion is more modern? I don't know. There were many moves that I had an idea about for pilates, but we hadn't done them in our normal pilates routine. Anyway, our normal routine was usually challenging despite the moves appearing very easy. I didn't feel challenged enough and I didn't work up a sweat this morning with the fill-in teacher. I don't know if it was just that it was traditional pilates, the teacher or his way of teaching.

I tried a different yoga teacher tonight. I heard that he was good and I almost ran away from the class after I saw how many people were in the class..strange, I would run away from his class, but I'm used to it in the yoga class I normally attend. It was also really crowded at 8pm with people doing weight machines and cardio machines. There is so much less people when I go to the gym in the morning, so I was overwhelmed by how crowded it was in the evening, especially at 8pm.

Anyway...while the class wasn't very challenging, I worked up a sweat and was drowning in it. In this class, we worked on proper breathing and proper posture/form more than hitting big postures or working through a bunch of moves. I usually do power yoga which is more about strength and endurance than anything else. How is it that I can work up a pool of sweat in a not so challenging yoga class, but I can't break a sweat at all in a not so challenging pilates class?

Week 28: Day 1

strength training:

• yoga (@ 12pm) = 1 hour

cardio:

• bike ride to/from gym = 2 miles (each way)
• karate (@ 7pm) = 1 hour

I feel like running tomorrow morning, but I don't at the same time. I don't need a recovery or rest time/hiatus because I feel physically fine. If I don't run, I'll ride the bike to the gym.

Week 27: Day 7 - Firecracker 10K Race Day Update

Race Day Update - Firecracker 10K Chinatown Los Angeles


8:30am - 10K (6.21 miles), time = 1:12:29 pace = 11:32 Official finish time

It was too warm, I forgot to take my caffeine and I attempted to run with a DSLR camera. I don't know how much a DLSR camera weighs, but it was heavy and I never figured out how to efficiently run with it without getting tired. I switched betweens arms, but I still got tired. After mile one, I gave up trying to figure how to run efficiently, so I gave up trying to PR (personal record). I ran this race in 2009 and my time was 1:04:34. Today's race was my slowest pace. I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to run whatever I could and take pictures along the way. They changed the course route to which I liked better...we got to run through the Dodger's Stadium parking lot and run the perimeter of the stadium for a short distance. I think because I didn't bother trying to run fast or beat my original time, I had a nice time and I enjoyed the run. This was what happens when the photographer kicked and took over the runner.

Next time I run this race, I'm bringing a smaller camera...and no, I will not be running a half marathon with a camera, no matter what the size is.

Week 27: Day 6

cardio:

• karate = 2 hours
• first (beginners) class = 12pm to 1pm
• second (intermediate/advanced) class = 1pm to 2pm

The 10K race is tomorrow and I'm ready for it.

Week 27: Day 5

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 7:15am) = 5.04 miles; time = 50:18; pace @ 9:59

strength training:

• yoga (@ 9:30am) = 1 hour

I've realized how much I actually enjoy running in very cold temperatures...so cold that it hurts, but only as long as the sun is out because I'll be more motivated to get out in extreme cold temperatures with the sun blaring at me. I don't think it will be that cold at 8:30am on Sunday when the race starts, but I think I will do ok being surrounded by other highly enthusiastic, motivating runners. I hope to do better being around them than on my own!

Anyway, I may do a short run tomorrow morning, just for good measure and to make up for not doing a run yesterday, but I don't know yet. We'll see. Otherwise, I'm done training for this 10K race.

Week 27: Day 4

cardio:

• turbo kickboxing (@ 8:30am) = 1 hour

I attempted to run this morning. I drove to a local park to park my car where I could do a warm up jog before doing my run on a hilly trail. I got there, but felt tired/sleepy and lost motivation. The gym was 1/2 mile away...versus home that was two miles away. I somehow made it to the gym even though I wasn't even motivated to go there and I made it to the turbo kickboxing class. After being in class for ten minutes, I wanted to leave, but I stayed the entire hour. The class woke me up and I was going to run afterwards, but didn't have enough motivation to go. I want to attempt running again later this afternoon around sunset. I'm not sure if I even have enough motivation to attempt it again, so we'll see.

Week 27: Day 3

cardio:

• trail/road run = 3.25 miles, time = 34:59
• karate = 2 hours
• first (beginners) class = 7pm to 8pm
• second (intermediate) class = 8pm to 9pm

I think I'm losing motivation and getting bored of running again. This can't be happening! I have two more training runs to do before the race! I'll be fine on race day once I get to the event/race location on Sunday morning, but trying to finish off my training (the last two runs) won't be easy.

Week 27: Day 2

cardio:

• bike ride to/from gym = 2 miles

strength training:

• pilates (@ 9:30am) = 1 hour

Lately, I've only felt like going to the gym for classes. I don't feel like doing anything else at the gym.

I haven't taken my bike to the gym in two weeks, yet it feels like I'm getting better on the easy hills on the way to the gym/home. Strangely, my right quad muscle was feeling sore/achy and I think it had something to do with not riding the bike to the gym for two weeks, but I think riding the bike this morning helped my quad feel better.

Week 27: Day 1

strength training:

• yoga (@ 12pm) = 1 hour

cardio:

• karate (@ 7pm) = 1 hour

There are some yoga poses that I will probably never get better at because I don't have the flexibility or strength for them, but there are some other poses that I seem to get better at...like going from "crow" to "headstand" and then back to "crow". Going from "crow" to "headstand" is the easy part for me. Going from "headstand" to "crow" is the hard part because I can't hold the pose for whatever reaason, but if I don't rush it, I can hold the pose! So yeah, improvement!

Week 26: Day 7

cardio:

• road run = 6.6 miles; time = 1:10:03; pace @ 10:37

I didn't do karate training yesterday because I went to my friends' first Taiko concert that was around the same time as class...I can miss a day or two of class for my friends, right? Anyway, they were at beginners level, but they did pretty well for the first performance!

Today was the first time that I did a run longer than race distance. I figured it would help me on my endurance. I think I'm beyond ready for the race.

Week 26: Day 5

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 7:10am) = 5.58 miles, time = 58:25, pace @ 10:28

strength training:

• yoga (@ 9:30am) = 1 hour

This morning was cold, but not as cold as the last two mornings. I think I run better in the cold that hurts my arms, hands and legs. I shouldn't be complaining though because my pace is still better than 11 minutes per mile.

Week 26: Day 4

cardio:

• hilly trail run (@ 7:30am) = 2.96 miles, time = 32:19, pace @ 10:55/mile
• warm up jog = 0.6 miles
• cool down jog/walk = 0.2 miles

I think I got my normal average pace and endurance back to where it used to be...where I want it to be. If my average pace is slightly less than 11 minutes per mile on challenging hills, I'm sure my average pace for easy runs is at 10:20 minut per mile. I also ran continuously throughout the run this morning, despite how challenging and hilly it was. I'm so happy and I knew that I could get my average pace and endurance back just during these six weeks of training for a 10K race. Let's hope that I have enough motivation to keep running after the race!

Week 26: Day 3

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 7am) = 3.65 miles, time = 37:51, pace @ 10:22
• karate = 2 hours
• first (beginners) class = 7pm to 8pm
• second (advanced) class = 8pm to 9pm

strength training:

• lower body (@ 8:15am)
• one leg squats = 2 sets x 15 reps x 40lbs (two 20lb dumbells)
• kneeling rear leg lifts = 2 sets x 20 reps
• wall sits = 2 sets x 1 min holds
• hip aBductions (weight machine) = 2 sets x 15 reps x 180lbs
• hip aDductions (weight machine) = 2 sets x 15 reps x 180lbs
• prone leg curls (weight machine) = 2 sets x 12 reps x 55lbs
• leg presses (weight machine) = 2 sets x 15 reps x 345lbs
• calf extensions (weight machine) = 2 sets x 15 reps x 140lbs
• hack squats (weight machine) = 2 sets x 15 reps x 200lbs

My legs and mind decided to run faster this morning. I didn't feel strained or tensed up...I really felt comfortable and at ease with running, but I don't know if this is just a temporary thing.

We didn't do much in the second class of karate training. Since the guys took out the mats and weren't really do anything on them until the last five minutes of class, I decided to work some yoga poses that I had some trouble with and were related to balancing. Using a large space with two inches of cushion is much easier for me and makes me less scared to try these poses. Now, I wonder where I can get these kinds of mats for cheap so I could practice my yoga?

Week 26: Day 2

strength training:

• pilates (@ 9:30am) = 1 hour

Didn't feel like doing my regular work out routine before pilates. Today is a non-running day so I'm not missing much with running.