Category: Running

Wound up doing a really long run/walk/run on Friday. I managed to get out of the before 10am and did a very easy job over to the park, where I did a circuit and a half. I realized the bridge in the middle of the park is quite steep, it is hard to keep a steady pace up and down it.

On the south end of the park there was a huge gateball/lawn golf activity going on, with all the neighborhood retirees out in full force with their bicycles lined up, hats on, and jabbering away.

When I left the park I exited further south than I am used to, but I figured I would hit the main road before too long. And then I started daydreaming about my coding project and before you know it, I was completely lost. I hit an intersection that was far too big. And spent about 10 minutes walking around trying to figure out where I was. The convenience store I went into didn’t have any maps, and I had apparently run into a different ward, so the maps on the sidewalk didn’t show where I lived and I was having a hard time figuring out which way to go. Compounding this was the only landmark I recognized, a huge red and white antenna tower at the NTT building, was… in the wrong place. Or rather, I thought it was in the wrong place.

I basically just got completely mixed up. Recognizing a landmark doesn’t help much if you still think you are on the opposite side of it.

When I finally figured it all out, I was about a mile off course. At this point I was walking, but I was thirsty and I had no cash for a drink at the convenience store or a cab home. So I started running again, just because I didn’t want to be out in the heat and humidity forever.

It was a mess of a workout, lots of walking, stops at red lights, etc. But I did cover some ground. About 7-8km, out for over an hour.

so, i went for a run yesterday. the first run in a very, very long time. how long? well… let’s be generous and call it late 2006.

i’m motivated to start running again after checking out my weight. it’s climbed again, after 6 months of over-work, stress, and no exercise. the price i pay for being at a crazy startup. well, time to get the weight back down again and start feeling healthy again. i used to be fairly active and am determined to be so again.

running in tokyo is a bit different because it is so much more urban than san francisco is. a lot more traffic, roads, bicycles, and pedestrians to contend with. another difference is the weather–hotter and more humid in the summer, and much colder in the winter.

there is a small park about a kilometer from our apartment. weather is overcast, the ground is wet after it rained sunday night. traffic is light–it is monday mid-morning, after all.

after just a couple hundred meters, i am huffing and puffing. wow, so out of shape. when i pass people i try to keep my wheezing to a minimum, you know, just so i don’t scare them. not that i am passing anyone. maybe i can catch that grandpa, with the fishing hat, walking ahead of me, with the cane.

the park is pretty small, actually, so even though i am slow and fat and out of shape i can cover it end to end. well, once. i stretch and decide to walk home–a long cool down.

somehow, i was running slow enough to get two mosquito bites.

~3km/1.8 miles. 30 minutes.

Saturday was rainy, so when W. called I wasn’t surprised she suggested postphoning our run. I was tired and groggy anyway.

Sunday though was gorgeous: no clouds, brisk and clear. I had a quarter bowl of flakes and a gelpack. W. called, and I was out the door. We did a gentle run down JFK, to Chain of Lakes, and then back up Middle Drive. It was an hour round trip, with a water and bathroom stop, too. I got home at 11:45am.

We talked a bit about the week, I told her about seeing Walter Murch @ sfcutters on Wednesday, she told me about seeing Dirty Harry on DVD.

I remember: the 60 yr old woman we slowly overtook on middle drive. The toddler with her leg stuck behind her bike pedal (and the training wheels) at the waterstop. The tree shorn of all its branches near 8th avenue.

Tuesday morning, and I’m out at the bus stop. A wintry sky, feathered altocumulus clouds stretched out across the sun to the east. My express bus doesn’t come, and the stop is full of people glancing in disbelief at their watches.

I cut my losses, walk to Geary, and take a cab.

All night I heard the sound of rain pouring down. It’s been raining since Saturday morning.

Sunday morning. W. called at 9am. “feeling sick- let’s skip this week.” No arguments from me.

Late Sunday, the rain stops. After a busy afternoon shopping–Sports Basement for 2 pairs of running shoes and socks, EBgames for some used videogames, L’Occitaine for Mom, Trader Joe’s for groceries–, I unload the car and motivate for a late run. I go out at a little after 5 pm.

Up Lake St. It’s already dark. Around Mountain View Lake and under route 1. Back onto Lake St, my time is 18 minutes or so. Slow. At 30th Ave I clock 30:14 minutes. On the leg back I try to kick and move my arms. I stop for 56 seconds at the red light at Park Presidio (42.34″). I kick hard to beat 50 minutes for the last stretch, hitting 5:53″ for the last leg, to finish at 49:23″ for the run. (includes red light).

Whoo!

And I feel good.

Maybe I should run more often, instead of just once a week.

We were running up Middle Drive. an incredibly pungent smell filled the air.

“What is that smell?” I asked W., who was running on the trail beside me.

“Ecalyptus trees.”

“Which trees are the eucalyptus trees?”

“I don’t know, I just know the smell.”

Longer run this week. 8.5 miles for me. 100 minutes. We ran from conservatory on JFK to the Waist, over to MLK, down to Bernice Rodgers, up JFK to Chain of Lakes, up Middle Drive West, back over to JFK, down through Rose garden woods and back along 8th street flats to the conservatory.

Was tired. Out of shape. Spent the day recovering sloooowly. Brunch at Eat’s. Mmmm.

Felt good to run that distance, though. Need to keep it up.

I decided that I am gpoing to run the Austin Marathon in February, 2006.

this is week one of training.

Today, I did my first training run.
Lake street, to 29th and back. ~4 miles. 45 minutes.

I was super stiff from soccer last night so the first half was really slow. (i scraped up both knees last night playing goalie, and also took a big tumble on a breakaway.) but on the way back I got a big rush after doing some fartleks, my fingers gwtting all tingly.

Fun. Also saw a girl who I used to see when I ran in the mornings . Glad she’s still out there running. We always say hi.

My goal for Austin is an under 5 hour marathon. I also plan to run the Kaiser Permanente Half marathon in GGP on February 6, two weeks before Austin, and am tentatively planning to run the Big Sur marathon on April 30th.

Whooo! Counting on my vast audience of readers to cheer me on.

W and I decided to do our weekend run in Marin headlands trails, and so we met at 930am and drove down to the bridge.

It was a gorgeous day.

We parked on the SF side of the Golden Gate Bridge, and ran across. It’s a long bridge actually, and it’s a pretty good hill to start on. It slopes downwards of course, on the other side, but immediately rises after you get to the far side. After the first pylon, the tourists start walking back, so the sidewalk is wide and clear for running.

The view was amazing, and I had a good time watching the sailboats go by. I talked to W. a bit about the　joys of sailing, but she wasn’t convinced.

When we got to the other side, we couldn’t find the trails the article W read about. Or rather, it was hot, there was no shade, and we could see that whereever we ran, it would be hilly and without shade.

So we turned back.

I like running with W. It’s a good bit of social time, we get to catch up on the gossip. And we get to run.

On the return trip across the bridge, I could see a good view of the entire SF coastline. And it made me happy to think: I’ve run all over this city. From the Embarcadero, Crissy Field, Presidio, Golden Gate Bridge, Baker Beach, Land’s End, Golden Gatw Park, and Ocean Beach… I’ve run in all those places.

That’s fun.

45 minutes. just under 3.5 miles. Hill profile, 4.5 mph.

I prefer running outside, but it’s nice to have the machine to pace you–since I’m terrible at pacing myself.

Saturday morning. awake across town. board a bus, get home, change into shorts, shoes, and head out the door.

not hungover, but under-rested, not awake, a bit groggy.

ran a bit further than usual, still not that far. ran for 50 minutes in the park. pretty sweaty. partly cloudy.

remnants of the gay pride run from the morning.

walked home.

I ran with M. down by Chrissy Field, and it was indeed bright, the sun not even below the Golden Gate bridge line when we started.

Tons of headwind, more than usual.

I ran poorly today, huffing and puffing like crazy. What’s up with that?

Lots of pretty girls out running.

We did a couple sets of harder running on the way back. The first stretch, for about 100 yards, I could hear footsteps catching up behind me. A guy passed us when we slowed, and said “About time. You guys were killing me.” and trotted on. Well, right on.

The next stretch was too long and I couldn’t keep up with M. That finished up the run.

I gotta do some distance or something to vary things, because my body is hardly getting warmed up and then suddenly underperforming on these 2-3 mile runs.

Afterwards, shopping at Safeway.