Finding New Ground

One of my goals for the month of November is to find a new trail to run every week.  Living in SoCal, there are a ton of places to run, it just takes some time to look them up online and then to navigate to them! Today I left work early enough to go on an adventure, which really took me less than 2 miles from my house!


I found the Eucalyptus Grove Trail.







Pros:
-Close to my house
-Nice and hilly (though for someone as clumsy as me, this could also be a con)
-The other runners/walkers I passed out there were all very friendly
-Beautiful scenery
-The course is short - this makes it perfect for a long run training route.  You just put all of your snacks and drinks in your car at the trailhead and refuel when you finish your two miles!!!

You might get to see some bunnies!!!

 Cons:
-The trail runs along some major roads, so it's not very peaceful.
-It also runs through some pretty ritzy neighborhoods (huge houses on both sides)!  It's fun to look at how the other half live, BUT...if you have to pee, there's really no good place to do it (and yes, I REALLY had to pee the entire run).
-The course is short - two miles out and back.

Run Like a Child

On Saturday, 29 October, we finally buried our mom and dad's ashes (they passed away in 2008 and 2006 respectively).  After doing that, we headed to a friend's lake house and ate disgusting amounts of cheese and crackers, tortilla soup, Italian sausage soup, vegetarian chili, and brownies with icing!  We spent no more than 10 minutes digesting this and Jessica, as crazy as she is, suggests we go for a jog.  No Garmin, no watches, no plan.  Just a nice leisurely jog.

It was exactly what we needed.  Our friend's daughters ran the first 100 yards with us and reminded us what it used to be like to run for fun.  Children have no concept of logging miles, they just go for it.  

The kiddos turned back and walked with their grandma as we headed out on a path around a beautiful lake.  We chatted and just enjoyed the beautiful landscape. Oh, and we tested out our jumping abilities:

And what better way to end such a run than to lay down in the freshly fallen leaves?  Challenge yourself to go out and run just for the sake of running.  Take away the gadgets, take away the stress, and remind yourself why you love such a pure sport.

Wordless Wednesday: Cross Training

Gotta Have Goals

It's a new month, so what better way to challenge yourself and be held accountable than to make your goals public?!

Jennifer's Goals

1. Run 5 days a week. I'd like to give myself a mileage goal, but I think I'll start out small for our first month of goals.
2. Do speed work once a week.  Ultimately, my goal is to get faster.  From all the issues of Runner's World I've read over the past 5 years, speed work is the key.  And while I might not be able to hit the track on a weekly basis, I have a treadmill, so it's possible to complete this goal.
3. Go to bed by 10:30 every night!  This one is tough.  I have a 1-year old, so when she goes to bed, I usually hop on the computer, or watch some TV and before I know it, midnight is upon me.  Getting adequate sleep is another key to recovery.
4. Learn about fueling/nutrition for before/during longer runs.  I live on a diet of pasta and candy.  Unfortunately, this is not good running food according to the experts.  So during the month of November, I'll do some research about how to properly fuel my body to enhance my running (rather than running just so I can eat crap).
5. Eat sweets no more than three times a week.  Some would say this isn't really a goal.  Those people obviously have no idea what kind of sweets addiction I'm dealing with.

Jessica's Goals


1. Complete speed work once a week.  Jennifer stole this goal from me.  See explanation for goal above.
2. Add two yoga workouts per week.  I am quite possibly the most un-flexible person out there!  I know that flexibility adds speed for runners, and yoga is supposed to keep my body and mind in tune, right?
3. 35 miles per week. Setting a weekly mileage goal will force me to actually plan my training!  Most days I just go out and do whatever I feel like, or whatever my friend Leonie plans for us.  I think that in the long run, a training plan will help me be stronger and faster.
4. Eliminate Monster energy drinks from my daily intake.  By far one of my biggest vices is the energy drink addiction that I have!  I'm constantly needing the caffeine fix just to function.  I've increased my intake of water, but I still drink those energy drinks.  With a list of ingredients that I cannot even pronounce, there's NO WAY these are even remotely good for me!
5. Find one new trail to run every week. During the recent Dirt Devil Racing series, I was introduced to four new trails in the San Diego area.  I'm surrounded by amazing places to run and it just takes a little research.  Finding somewhere new to run each week will keep me motivated (and distracted) during long runs!


Share your goals with us and leave us your email/blog/twitter.  We'll check in on you this month to see if you're sticking to the plan.  Help keep us and yourselves accountable!

If I had the $$$...

If I had the money and time, there are three races in particular that I would LOVE to do.





1) Dublin Marathon - Ireland - Who wouldn't want to run through that beautiful country?





Where else can you find a can of Guinness RUNNING a marathon???







2) Athens Classic Marathon - Greece - I know that this one needs NO explanation for anyone.

                     More awesome costumes!!!

3) 4 Deserts Run - Africa (This one needs some explanation, so I borrowed it from their website - http://www.4deserts.com/whatis4deserts).

The 4 Deserts is the world's leading rough-country endurance footrace series. A unique collection of world-class events that take place over 7 days and 250 kilometres in the largest and most forbidding deserts on the planet. 

Competitors are challenged to go beyond the limits of their physical and mental endurance. Racing self-supported in the most inhospitable climates and formidable landscapes, they must carry all their own equipment and food and are only provided with drinking water and a place in a tent each night to rest. 

The series, named again by TIME magazine in 2010 as one of the world's Top 10 endurance competitions, comprises the Atacama Crossing in Chile, the Gobi March in China, the Sahara Race in Egypt and The Last Desert in Antarctica. 

 And if you feel this good at the end, you've done well!!!