Glycerin - Brooks

Today I will review my running shoe, the Brooks Glycerin 12. I have worn the Brooks Glycern since 2012, when I started running again.

In college, I was a huge fan of Adidas Supernova Classic.  I haven't seen the Classic on shelves in a while, and I believe they've been discontinued for some time...not sure though.  I'm sure if I scoured the internet, I could probably find a way to buy a pair of these shoes.  I loved the Classic because I have a narrow heel, and probably benefited from the very minimal support it provided. 

I can't seem to find a shoe that hugs my foot the way the Supernova Classic did.  I hope Adidas brings this lovely shoe back.  I am certain the shoe still has a good number of Fans.

Anyways, the Brooks Glycerin has a slight different feel than the Classic, but it is a delightful shoe to run in.  When I was ready to start walking/jogging from my most recent foot injury, I was heartbroken when I found the Glycerin hurt my foot! Was only temporary, thankfully!  I bought the Brooks Ghost as a temporary measure until I was ready to try the Glycerin again. The Ghost is a good shoe, but I found it wore out much faster than I expected. 

Here is my list of "Pros" for the Glycerin: 

• It is very cushy, but at the same time it doesn't feel too soft. 
• For all the cush, it is still a nice light shoe and it is also a very flexible shoe.  I haven't done too much track work since I've been back running, but I am confident I would feel comfortable running fast paces in the shoe. 
• The shoe has lasting power.  My old Glycerin 11's are certainly not dead.  They are now used for my everyday walking and hiking.  I've had this shoe for more than 8 months, and it still feels great. 
• Brooks has a ton of color options, which is pretty awesome.
• Lately and because of my foot/ankle injury, my focus is on how my foot lands and progresses through my stride. My right ankle / talus bone was out of place for many years, effecting my foot strike during running, walking, standing, squatting.  While the talus bone is now in the correct place, I need to train my foot's behavior and strengthen my tendons to ensure it is strong enough to do what is meant to do (and not move outwards like it has been doing for years).  I feel like the Glycerin is helping me with this, as it has great mid-foot to fore-foot transition. 
• The Glycerin's uppers does have a nice mid-foot feel, where it has a nice "hug" around my foot.

Cons: 

• It's a little pricey, but I honestly think it is worth the money. 

I'd love to try running in a pair of the Supernova Classics, to remind myself why I liked it so much.  It was one of the cheapest shoes on the market, but it worked so well for me.

It's Monday, so I am back at work.  Amazingly, Phill went to bed at the same time as I did...so he definitely was not up until wee hours finishing his paper.  I was very proud and happy to see how dedicated he was to getting his paper done yesterday.

Today Phill and I are going to do 2 - 3 miles, lunges, squats, other leg work, and core.  I am looking forward to the work out! 

Happy Monday, all! May your week be excellent! 

As the end of the weekend approaches....

As the end of the weekend approaches, I think about the following: 

• What will this week's running plan look like? 
• Will I start the another Murakami book tonight? 
• What will I make for dinner for the next few nights? 
• Will Phill finish his paper tonight or will he be up until the wee hours of the night?
• Will I finish folding the darn laundry before I go to sleep tonight?

Before I answer or at least ruminate on these questions, I'll give you a brief summary of my weekend...in case you care to know. 

Friday - I ran 2 miles, but totally spaced on my plan to do some arm work.  I also ordered a Pesto Pizza from Pizza My Heart.  I added spinach to their Pesto pizza, making it a lot tastier! 

Saturday - I ran 3 miles at a fairly casual pace, and made sure to do some core and arms after it.  I also foam rolled and used the stick.  My post work-out drink was Endurox. I am trying to maximize recovery to avoid injury and fatigue, so I'm going to be experimenting with some post-work out drinks or meals.  I am not always very good with eating within 30 minutes of my workout.  In addition to running, I did laundry, made a late lunch (tofurky, tomato, veganaise, spinach, mustard on spelt sourdough), watched "Tiny Furniture", and then made dinner (shrimp, spinach, onion, bell pepper, zucchini, whole wheat spaghetti), cleaned the bathroom and did the dishes.  I slept really well last night. 

Sunday - Phill and I woke up early to run and do drills.  We ran one mile to Santa Clara University's sand track.  Then, we did dynamic warm up and drills (A-skip, B-skip, karaokes, one legged hops, and other).  Then we ran another 2 miles around the University and back home.  My post work-out drink was Endurox.  We also made breakfast - one waffle each, a home-made strawberry compote-like thing (NO added sugars, strawberry, cherry, lemon, and a little orange concentrate), and two eggs each.  And, of course, coffee. While I ate, I watched an episode of Girls - this season has been really great, as the girls on the show are faced with true "adult" decisions and issues, and I'm looking forward to seeing them develop as the story progresses. After this, I ended up taking a two hour nap while Phill wrote more of his paper.  Then, I went grocery shopping.  For lunch, Phill and I had brown rice, spinach, and teriyaki tofu. I then, finally, booked my hotel and car for Ireland. Didn't cost TOO much, thankfully. For dinner, I made grilled cheese sandwiches with this new spelt bread.  I also made a mixture of veggies (string beans, onion, carrot, celery and seasonings).  I have to be honest - the veggies were amazingly tasty!  While I ate dinner, I watched last week's Law and Order -  SVU episode. I am now writing this blog, and eating a Mama Chia...because apparently I didn't eat enough for dinner.

Well, I'm back to thinking about those questions....

• What will this week's running plan look like? 
• Monday: Dynamic Warm-Up.2 miles, easy.  Core / Lunges, squats, calf raises
• Tuesday: Dynamic Warm-Up. 2 miles, easy.  Core / arms.
• Wednesday: Dynamic Warm-Up. 3 miles, moderate.
• Thursday: Dynamic Warm-Up. 2 miles, easy. Core.
• Friday: Dynamic Warm-Up. 2 miles, easy.
• Saturday: Dynamic Warm-Up. 2 - 3 miles, easy. Core / arms. 
• Sunday: Dynamic Warm-Up. 3 miles, moderate. Drills.

• Will I start the another Murakami book tonight? Yes.
• What will I make for dinner for the next few nights? I have no frickin' idea...but I know I have food. :) 
• Will Phill finish his paper tonight or will he be up until the wee hours of the night? He seems to be doing pretty well, so I'm thinking he will go to sleep by midnight.
• Will I finish folding the darn laundry before I go to sleep tonight? Yes..err, shit...it's 9:00PM already...well, I will get at least 25% folded. 

I am sticking to my plan of low mileage and focusing on getting stronger and better prepared for longer miles through drills and core work.  So far, I think it's working out and I'm feeling pretty good.

Considerations on Habits and Happiness

Phill and I watched Gretchen Rubin speak at Santa Clara University yesterday evening.  It was a last minute decision, and I am happy we went. 

Gretchen Rubin is the author of the "Happiness Project".  She was speaking about her new book, "Better than Before".  Her new book is essentially about using one or a combination of 21 strategies to change or develop habits in a way that works for the individual.  I have not read any of her books, but after hearing her speak I look forward to it.  She is funny and interesting to watch, so I'm sure her books will have the same tone.  She also has a blog, which I am sure I'll take a peek at today.

During her talk, she mentioned that there is a direct correlation to the habits we have and happiness.  I definitely agree with this. Over the last few months, I've developed the healthy habit of reducing the amount of refined sugars I consume.  I feel good about it - I feel healthier, I am slowly losing the belly fat probably caused by the sugar spikes and extra triglyceride production, and I feel much less tired.  I love sugary foods, so the fact that I've been able to do this makes me feel very accomplished and, therefore, happy.

Before a few months ago, I had already changed a lot of my diet but I was not aware of HOW MUCH sugar I was consuming even with those changes.  But my last doctor's appointment and blood work really opened my eyes to the kind of problems I was headed for if I even stuck with my current diet. So, I decided to make a change, effective immediately. 

Gretchen spoke about "abstainers" versus "moderators" during her talk.  "Abstainers" are the folks that are able to abstain from a certain habit easily, but are unable to exercise restraint if they engage in the behavior even a little bit.  For example, it is easier for a "Abstainer" to not have (or stock) any cookies because if they have one cookie they will have 10 cookies.  

"Moderators" are the folks that are able to moderate a habit, and it is easier for them to engage in the habit moderately over not engaging in it at all.  For example, it easier for a "moderator" to have a piece of chocolate daily rather than not having/carrying any chocolate at all.

I am pretty sure I am an "abstainer".  I do a lot better when there is NO ice cream in the house - I barly even think about it, unless I have a random craving. If there is ice cream in the house, however, I'm eatin' the whole pint....before the end of the night.

When I began reducing my sugar, I thought it was the end of the world. I didn't understand and I thought it was a bit unfair.  BUT now that I know how much sugar is in most yogurts and other "healthy" snacks and products, I understand that it was my lack of awareness on what I was putting into my body that created most of my problems.  A pre-disposition could also be a factor, but that factor is not something I can control...so I don't even think about it. I just change what I can change - and that is the amount of sugar I put into my body. 

I know you are all thinking, "but she had a donut last Saturday".  Yes, I did.  But it had been a long time since I had had a donut, and it was concurrent to a run and a walk.  So, I knew that my blood sugar would be regulated, as I enjoyed my delicious donut. Also, I've decided that I am not going to eat any sweet treat unless I have time for a 20 - 30  minute walk immediately after. 

I am looking forward to reading Gretchen's books and blog.  I'm curious to see how sound her advice is, and if it can help me continue to improve myself and my outlook on life. 

On Wednesday, Phill and I ran 3.2 miles.  We ran from my office down a path towards Gunn Highschool.  It's a really nice path.  I will have to visit it again on a longer run to see how far it goes. After the run, we went to the gym below my office to do core.  We did various sit-ups, planks, and work with the Bosu Ball to assist with those balancing muscles in our lower legs and ankles.  Was a very fun workout. 

Yesterday, I just walked, totalling about 2 miles.  A migraine headache developed late Wednesday, which continued through the next day.  I left work early yesterday and slept for a couple of hours before going to Gretchen's talk.  I feel a lot better today, and I plan to run 2 - 3 miles.  I will also incorporate more core and also some arms after the work out.  On Tuesday, Phill and I did handstands for a good 10 minutes...which made both of us very sore.  My soreness is finally manageable, and some push-ups and other arm work will not hurt me. 

Running-wise this weekend's plans are to do 2 - 3 miles Saturday and Sunday.  Phill and I will also do drills on Sunday.  I've been teaching Phill how to do track drills, and I hope to add a new drill into the mix this weekend. 

Have a wonderful Friday, all! 

Backpacking - Point Reyes

It's been a little while since my last post.  Last week was a busy one and the weekend even busier!

Last week's running went pretty much according to plan, expect on Saturday where Phill and I ran about 4 miles (so more than planned!).  Within the 4 miles, we ran to Stan's Donuts got ourselves a donut (I had a glazed Old Fashioned and Phill had a Lemon Buttermilk) and then ran to Peet's - donuts in hand - for coffee.  We ate our donuts and coffee at Peet's, and then we walked the mile home. I hadn't had a donut in over a year, so the donut tasted pretty darn good!  And this certainly made our run interesting! 

Sunday, Phill and I drove up to Point Reyes for a short backpacking trip.  We were lucky to get a campsite at the Sky Campground, which is a short 1.7 uphill hike from Parking.  This campground is pretty amazing.  Our campsite overlooked forest, coastal chaparral, and the ocean. 

Once our tent was pitched and lunch eaten, Phill and I went out for the 4 - 5 mile hike to the Coast. The hike was pretty easy going, but the downhill (and uphill coming back home) was a bit challenging.  Our hike started in damp forest surroundings, moving through California's chaparral and woodlands, and then, finally, to the Coast.  The beach at Coast Camp was very quiet, with only a few visitors.  The sand at the beach was pebbly, unlike the beaches in Santa Cruz or Monterey.  This beach would have been great for running, as the pebbly sand, in my opinion, is a little easier to move through than fine sand. 

We went a different way back to our campsite from the Coast, which included a lot more damp forest - similar to what you would find in Nisene Marks. Once we got back to camp, we made dinner (rice, spinach-lentils dahl, and soup), replenished our water, enjoyed the quiet darkness, and fell asleep.  

One small tip when camping / pitching a tent - even the slightest slope will cause some major sliding in those satin-ish sleeping bags! Phill and I had an interesting time trying to keep in one place throughout the night. 

On our hikes and around our campsite, we saw plenty of flora and fauna, animals, and birds. Prior to the start of our journey, I purchased a bird guide, in hopes of seeing a bunch of birds.  On our trip, we saw Raven, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and California Quail. We also saw a hawk, but I'm not sure which kind because it was a little too dark to see if it had a red tail or red shoulders. We also saw many deer and a Pacific Water Shrew along our hike.  And, most fortunately, we had a couple of what we think were Long-tail weasels around our campsite. They were running across the narrow trail heading into our campsite.  They moved fast, but were so cute. 

On Monday morning, Phill and I went out for a two mile-ish walk to stretch our legs. Then, we made breakfast, dried our tent and other camping gear (it rained during the night), and hiked back to the car.  The rest of our day was spent walking around San Rafael and then Berkeley.  We ate at Angeline's Kitchen for dinner, which is one of our favorite restaurants to visit.  

Here are a few pictures from our trip: 

This is me right before our trip...super excited! 

I took this picture during our hike to our campsite. 

This was our campsite! 

Flowers I saw on our hike.

Phill :)

Selfie.

Angeline's

This trip re-ignited my passion for nature and birds.  When I came home, I immediately looked at my Bird book to read more about the birds we saw on our trip, and also to identify the little guy that hangs out in front of our apartment. I've identified it as a Black Phoebe, and we've named him Hamilton (Ham for short). I hope our cute little neighbor doesn't mind that we've named him.

On Tuesday, Phill and I spent the day getting the apartment a little more organized, we returned our rented camping gear, watched some more Breaking Bad, and worked out.  We started our workout by doing a dynamic warm up, than we ran 2.5 miles, then we did lunges, squats, and calf raises. 

That's it for now, I'll post my running plans and the rest of the week's goals in my next post, tomorrow. 

3+ hour Commute

Yesterday's commute home was more than 3 hours long because of an accident on another train.  

Lesson: have a better back-up plan than the bus or run like hell to the bus so I don't have to wait for the 4th bus on the route home to have room to pick me up! 

When I got home, I did not run or work out.  I did get some extra walking in because of my change in transit plans...so I guess that's good. 

I don't anticipate having problems getting home today, so I will be on track to getting my Wednesday workout on! And I'm not going to let any delays getting home impact my workout plans today - I've eaten enough and have enough snacks to be okay today! 

I'm very much looking forward to this weekend - 4 day weekend for me! :)  Phill and I are going camping on one of the nights, which will be super fun.  Being surrounded in beautiful scenes and peaceful silence with the person I love very much will be fantastic. 

We will likely also stop in Berkeley on the way home, to stop at one of our favorite restaurants, Angeline's Kitchen.  Incredibly excited for this as well - it's been a good year since we've visited this delightful restaurant! 

Perhaps I'll accomplish one of my goals tonight...like paying my parking tickets...

Spicy Carrot and Shrimp with Cucumber Salad...yummmmmm

Last Night, I made Spicy Carrot and Shrimp with Cucumber Salad. This was sooo yummy! 

Yumm...Spicy Carrot and Shrimp with Cucumber Salad!

A photo posted by D (@runningdizzy) on Mar 16, 2015 at 9:29pm PDT

Phill made the croutons (soooo good!) using the Rye and Cheddar Bread we bought at the Farmers'  Market last weekend and some spices.  And then I made the rest, which included: carrots, shrimp, avocado, cilantro, cucumber salad, and cayenne pepper.  

Phill and I have made it a goal to cook more, and we've been doing a pretty good job of it!!  I usually enjoying cooking, but there are times life just catches up and we don't have time for it!

Before Dinner last night, Phill and I ran for 10 minutes and then walked home, totalling 2 miles.  I also walked 1.7 miles to/from CalTrain and Bus stops.  My quad and knee issues seemed to be resolved, but I am going to be cautious.

I also performed core work (4 x 10 push ups, 10 minutes of various ab exercises, 20 Superman’s, and a few sets of various other arm exercises) and stretched and rolled. I'm happy to report I was able to do the Pilates Roll Up 10 times with ease.  A few months ago, I couldn't do one without my legs flying up into the air!

Today - I will run another 10 minutes and then perform various leg and core exercises. 

Weekend

My weekend consisted of walking, a little of running, cleaning, finishing season 2 of the Orange is the New Black, and making smoothies.

Friday, Phill and I probably walked about 5 miles.  I had no quad pain or tightness, which gave me the confidence to go out for a mile run on Saturday.  Saturday, I did a dynamic warm up, ran one mile and walked 1.5 miles.  Later than evening Phill and I went out for a 2 mile stroll, also.  Sunday, I did a dynamic warm up, ran one mile, taught Phill some drills, and walked 1.5 miles.  Additionally, I made sure to roll, use the stick, and stretch. 

I gave Dunsmuir a bath by taking him into the shower with me.  He is such a good Rabbit. He made no fuss at all.  This is him, post bath: 

Post-bath happy!

A photo posted by D (@runningdizzy) on Mar 16, 2015 at 10:01am PDT

I experimented with making Smoothies for Phill and me this weekend.  Saturday's consisted of 1/4 cup strawberry, 1/4 cup raspberry, 1/4 cup cherry, 1 banana, half a block of tofu, and 1 cup almond milk.  I put a little too much tofu in there and used the firm tofu (that's all we had), so the texture was a little weird.  It tasted good though.  Sunday's consistent of 1/4 cup cherry, 1/4 beets, 1 tablespoon chia, 1/2 cup carrot, 1/2 banana, 1 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup kefir. This tasted pretty good, but was very fibrous to drink. I am looking forward to having kefir in my cereal next.

I also made grilled cheese for dinner last night.  I also made a bowl of fresh veggies.  I intended on it being a salad, but our mixed greens went bad / were bad when I bought them.  

The grilled cheese was really good. I used Eureka Organic Bread (Seeds the Day) and Habanero Sierra Jack Cheese (both super delicious ingredients by themselves!).  On the outside, I put some Parmesan on the outside. Very tasty and simple sandwich.

This weeks running plan: 

Monday: Dynamic Warm Up, 1 mile run, arms / core exercises

Tuesday: Dynamic Warm Up, 1 mile run, leg / core exercises 

Wednesday: Dynamic Warm Up, 2 miles, arms / core exercises

Thursday: Dynamic Warm Up, 1 mile run, leg / core exercises

Friday: Dynamic Warm Up, 2 mile run

Saturday: Dynamic Warm Up, 2 mile run

Sunday: Dynamic Warm Up, 2 mile run, drills 

Of course, that will also include stretching and rolling.  

One of those days may include a longer run.  I have two friends who are training for a half marathon, and I may meet them for their run.  I assume it will be 4 - 5 miles, at 10 - 11 minute pace.

Other goals: 

• Pay my darn parking tickets! 
• Continue reading my book

It's Friday!

Do you ever start your workday wanting to exclaim, "WTF", so loud that the guys jackhammering outside of the building could hear you?  That's how my day started. 

It is Friday though, so all I need to do is keep it together until 4:00PM. 

Last night, I wore my Strassburg sock until 4:17AM.  Almost the full night - which is a testament to how well I slept last night, too. When I woke up an hour later, I felt no pain in my foot, which was pretty awesome. I usually feel minor pain in my right foot when I wake up. 

I know I told you all my quad was hurting yesterday, so you are probably wondering why I have foot pain now.  

I hurt my foot in October 2013 and was out from running until around October 2014.  I had a stress fracture.  After the stress fracture healed, I still had pain.  So, I found out that my talus bone was out of place causing stress on my peroneal tendons and ankle.  Additionally, I have a minor heal spur causing pain and inflammation in my plantar as well. This is all due to old ankle sprains that my teenage and young adult self pretty much ignored after the swelling went away.  I had some pretty narly sprains, too. 

Once the pain in my quad goes away - which I think will be tomorrow or Sunday - I plan to approach my workouts for the next 4 weeks a little differently.  Because I was out for an entire year and couldn't do much of anything (walking, cycling, elliptical, swimming all hurt my foot), I gained significant amount of weight.  So, the extra weight that I'm still carrying (even though it is less than when I started) might be causing additional strain on my body. Because of this, I am thinking I need to focus on working on my core strength and mobility before I start increasing my mileage again.  

My thoughts are as follows: 

• Dynamic Warm-up and running 2 miles everyday, and continuing doing my normal daily walks. (Total distance will be around 19 miles, including the walking)
• Mondays and Wednesdays: Arms and abs, stretching and rolling
• Tuesdays and Thursday: Body weight legs (squats, calf raises, clams, bosu ball), stretching and rolling 
• Fridays: Just stick with the running, only. 
• Saturday: Just stick with the running, only. 
• Sunday: Longer Dynamic Warm-up, incorporating some light drills or lunge

As the 4 weeks progress, I may increase my mileage to 3 miles on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

I love running.  I love increasing my mileage and intensity.  Right now though, I need to be patient and focus on getting stronger.  I want to be able to run for the next 50 years...and possibly be able to run fast and pain free doing it. My arms and tummy are doing to look pretty good if I keep up the core, too! 

A little bit of pain and a little bit of patience

I haven't posted in a week and I haven't run in a week! Correlation?  A little bit. 

My quad began to hurt last Thursday.  It was really tight and sore.  Then my knee started to bother me and swell.  And then also my hip and my glutes. 

I am assuming that my body responded quickly and abrasively to my 5K on Sunday and my progressive run on Wednesday.  Now I know that I am not quite ready to be increasing intensity...and I need to be patient with my body.  

I am pretty sure my hips are tight, causing anger in my IT band and also vastus lateralis muscle.  After a lot rolling, icing, stretching, massaging, hot tubbing, I'm feeling like I'm 95% recovered. I also go new running shoes, the Brooks Glycerin.  My shoes were pretty close to getting to the end of their life, so I am figuring this may have been a factor to my small set back. 

Yesterday, for exercise, I walked about 3 miles total and did light weights and core.  It was nice. 

Outside of trying to heal, I've really only been working, organizing the apartment some more, and catching up on more Orange is the New Black.  Pretty boring stuff. 

I got a Spot Award at work for a project I completed, so that's extra money in my pocket.  I revised our ADA forms and also created a ADA Interactive Process Guide for the HR Managers.  Additionally, I created a Documentation Checklist and ADA Hardship Analysis for the HR Manager to use when employees are requesting an accommodation.  When I first started my job, I was surprised none of this existed here and I finally put in enough time in to make some changes. I'm pretty happy about this, and I am looking forward for my project to actually get implemented (which is another challenge!)  I could talk for days about the ADA...but I won't do that here. 

Tonight I am going to try to read rather than watching the tube - let's see how that goes! 

Talk to you all later!

Orange is the New Black

I was a fortunate recipient of a Chrome Book recently. It is treating me very well.  I can do some job searching, article reading, blogging, and TV watching all on this handy little device.  It's amazing...and it was amazingly cheap. 

Phill and I have been watching Breaking Bad periodically and sometimes to the point of binge watching.  I'm so excited to keep watching, as the story has finally developed into something pretty complicated and intense. 

Over the weekend and to distract myself, I began to watch Orange is the New Black while icing my foot in the hotel's trash bin.  I've watched about 8 episodes since then.  I am enjoying the show - it's funny and I'm looking forward to the story and character development.  I am wondering where Piper will go after her stint in prison - 15 months is not a very long time, so I'm wondering how there are 3 seasons.  But, hey, sentences get extended and there are other characters on the show. 

Well, enough of my TV series babble - my run yesterday went pretty well.  I can definitely tell that I ran hard on a Sunday, but legs are feeling strong.  Phill and I ran for 40 minutes, totalling 4.86 miles.  We started at around 9:30 pace and progressively got faster until mile 4.  Between mile 3 and 4, we progressed from 8:00 pace to 6:55 pace. 6:55 pace lasted for 3 minutes, and the last 30 seconds of that got a little tough so I focused on my breathign and arm control. After mile 4, we just jogged until we reached 40 minutes.  

This morning, my back was really sore but it's feeling better now.  I probably just slept funny.  The rest of my body feels alright, but I do have some minor shin soreness so I will have to watch that and make sure I continue to religiously roll and ice. 

Today and tomorrow - just 20 minutes of easy running. And some core work.

Enjoy the rest of your week, readers.

7:39

This weekend's 5K ended up being a nerve-wracking tempo run, and the good news is my tempo pace is a lot faster than I expected.  I ran the 5K in Napa at around 7:39 pace, and it was pretty fun.  Phill ran pretty well this weekend too - he averaged 6:53 pace. I can't wait to run it next year! 

I am also looking forward to setting my next running goal.  I feel it is important I enter as many races as I can because I get major anxiety out there.  

This weekend I noticed that my lungs really had no problem running 7:39 pace.  It was the rest of my body and my mental strength that struggled.  It also felt strange to be running fast, as most of my runs linger around 9:00 - 9:30 pace.  

Overall, the weekend was pretty good.  Phill and I brought our friend Anthony along for the weekend activities.  Anthony and I watched Bill Rodgers and Don Kardong speak and listened to Frank Shorter over a conference call. Unfortunately, Shorter was unable to attend the Marathon College due to weather. I hope to see him speak live one day - maybe next year! Overall,  it was a great talk - lots of great history and insight about their time as elite runners. We also watched Dick Beardsley and Jack Keston talk as well. They had good stories and songs to sing. 

After the race, we went to The Thomas Restaurant for lunch.  Apparently it was still "brunch hours" so I had their crab benedict.  It was pretty good, so were their cocktails. I wished the benedict came with potatoes or fruit though - if I hadn't left the place tipsy, I probably would have noticed I was still hungry! 

Here is my week's running plan - I am probably going to hover around 20 - 24 miles per week for the next 3 months or until it becomes very, very easy.  Right now, 20 - 24 is very manageable but I still find myself with little aches in my shin or calf, so I know I'm not ready to do anything more: 

Monday: Walking, core - I did about 3.7 miles of walking, total, and about 15 minutes of core. 
Tuesday: 30 minutes - I ran 3.34 miles. 
Wednesday: 40 minutes at a moderate pace (so I'm thinking 8:45ish pace)
Thursday: 20 minutes, easy, core
Friday: 20 minutes, easy
Saturday: 30 minutes, easy
Sunday: 65 minutes - easy / moderate

This morning Phill made biscuits and coffee for breakfast.  He also walked with me to Caltrain.  Very sweet - set the tone of a great day. 

I better get back to working now...