Recap Christmas Holiday

The end of the year is always a hectic time for me. While most people take time off or slow down for the holidays, I ramp up my hours at work. On a good note, that means a few extra hours of pay and I'm lucky to have a job in an economy where so many people are struggling to get by. My workouts have been on the rocks a bit this week, but I'm pleased to still have gotten a handful of them in.

Last week I had a beautiful hilly run on the dirt trails by the Back Bay. It was a windy day and the trails were empty. I caught this sunset on my second loop.

California Christmas

I managed to get on my bike for the first time since the Newport Beach Triathlon. In the end of October. For a time trial. Whoa it's been awhile! Nothing like a few months off cycling to remind you how different running muscles are from cycling muscles. Surprise! Adam led me out on SART and I chased him as fast as I could for 20 minutes. I'm not gonna lie, it was kind of sad how slow I was. However, cycling comes back quickly for me, so I'm not too worried. I was able to get my heart rate pretty high (for me) and that's what my coach needed so I feel pretty good about it.

Giant Pelican

Christmas was nice! We spent Christmas Eve with my family post-bike ride and had a wonderful brunch in the warm CA sunshine. Christmas Day we woke up and while I went running, Adam headed out on another bike ride. I felt really good and managed to bang out 13.1 miles for fun. I'm looking forward to officially starting our training on the 1st with Team FC! And not working quite as hard! Ok, back to work =)

...and it was in the mid-70s!

Weekend Run Recap

Went on a 2hr 20minute run on Saturday. Here's what I saw! So many things are easy to miss when you're rushing about in a car...by foot - the world is fantastic. Enjoy! (Click on each image to enlarge.)

Someone's giant, sweet bunny stoked on all the good eats!

Threatening clouds

One of my favorite views

From Castaways Park

Tons of prickly pear in bloom!

From Castaways Park out the harbor to the Pacific

Kayaks at Southwind 

Yours truly!

Still Running!

Not too shabby for a Monday!

Monday I left work a little early and headed out on the Mountains to Sea Trail from Newport Beach towards Irvine. It's been crazy windy and cold here lately, so I intentionally set off into the wind knowing that my way back would be easier. The sun sets at 5pm sharp, so I  packed my Nathan hydration pack with water, arm warmers, headlamp, 2 E-Gels and a change of lenses in case it was windy and I needed my clear lenses in the dark. Seems like a bit of crap to carry with, but I'm a huge fan of being comfortable, particularly when I'm running or riding for an extended period of time. Simply put, the more comfortable I am, the more I can just focus on the task at hand. There are only 2 spots to get water along this section of the trail and I find it easier to just carry my own - no stopping and no fussing.

Under the 405 Fwy

Besides being out of work early (which is always sweet), it was absolutely beautiful out. Hardly anyone on the trail, bright blue skies, cooling winds, and I was running out with the sun at my back keeping my body temperature just right. The last outside run I did last week sucked so completely that I was in dire need of redemption. Granted it was a tempo run INTO the wind and said wind happened to be blowing around 20mph making my run a total nightmare. I pushed hard. I gave my all. And the wind handed me my ass, patted me on the head and sent me back home pouting. I was in luck on Monday, though, my long run went beautifully!

Running with the wind!

I've been consistently putting in the zone 1-2 runs which at first are completely boring. Shuffle, shuffle, jog, look at watch, heart rate too high, shuffle, etc... Yet, after a month, I've come to really enjoy them. Compared to the hill repeats, the tempo runs and the mile repeats, slow long runs are downright fun. I can actually enjoy the trip! I'm also super lucky to have this trail to run on. Some dirt, some asphalt, barely any concrete and no cars. I almost made it to my mom's house on foot - which I was pretty stoked about! I've been doing really well on the active recovery front as well - spending my lunch time foam rolling, using the TP Therapy stuff and working on some of my problem areas (tight calves which cause foot pain, tight hips which cause everything pain). My body has been recovering quickly and I am pretty much pain-free. The only thing that starts to bug is the pads of my feet (balls and toe pads) after about 90 minutes. Some new shoes coming tomorrow should help with that!

I have a touch of a cold so I'm resting for a few days, but it's worth it if I am better for the weekend! Fortunately my immune system is pretty healthy, so it can fight off these winter cooties without it being too unbearable. 

Just a quick few miles till home!

Stunning sunset over the bay