the ocean breathes salty

The last couple weeks have been tiring--on the weekends we've been camping and during the week we've been working (and getting ready to go camping).  This morning my alarm went off at 6:40am and again at 6:49.  Both times I turned it off and just lay there.  I knew I'd feel a lot better if I got up and went for a run but I convinced myself that I was simply too sleepy.  I also spent some time thinking about my dream which involved buying a mini golf course through an ad in an underground newspaper and setting up the holes under a couple feet of water.  The things that make sense in dreams . . .

Anyway, I didn't go back to sleep but I also didn't get out of bed to go to the gym.  Totally silly, I know.  I resolved to get in a run after work (something I had failed to do after hitting the snooze button the day before).

After work, the gym sounded just as unappealing as it had in the morning.  Outside though, the fog was rolling in and it was cool.  I realized I should just push myself out the door and down to the water.  I started out much faster than usual but I felt strong.  I ended up running 5.20 miles in 40 minutes.

I stopped about three miles in to take some photos (and also to catch my breath because I was afraid I couldn't keep up the pace if I didn't).  This is what I saw:

While I was running I was listening to this mix on shuffle.  There was the usual scenery--the San Lorenzo, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the municipal wharf, West Cliff Drive with its big houses to one side and water dotted by surfers to the other, Light House Field, other runners in neon attire, couples on their evening strolls and dogs of various sizes pulling on leashes--mostly I was in my own head though.  The pace felt hard but it also felt sustainable.  I felt good (really good, even).

----

When it's 6 in the morning and your covers are warm from sleep, it's sometimes hard to remember why you run (even if you have a list in your head ready for such occasions).  I run for runs like tonight--for the stretches where I don't have to distract myself with puppies(!) and waves and gardens and pretty houses; the stretches where my surroundings turn into a blur and I couldn't tell you what song just played; the stretches where I know I'm pushing myself but I also know I have enough left in me to finish strong; I run for the stretches where I am in that moment, fully (even if that feeling only lasts for a mile or two). 

After tonight, I'm feeling motivated and refreshed and content.  Sometimes I need a run like this to get me going again.  After tonight, I'm looking forward to a weekend spent in Santa Cruz (and a race over the hill).  And to finally getting around to more posts (about camping! our anniversary! and more!).

(ps: you can see my run here.) 

On Running: the Day Before a Race

I love the day before a race.  It's a day of both rest and excitement.  For me, the pre-race nerves don't really set in until the morning of, so the day before a race is just pleasant anticipation.

In the months leading up to a race, many Saturday mornings are sacrificed to long runs.  But on the day before a race, the whole morning is yours again.  There are no more miles to log--if you run at all that day (this time we didn't) it's only a mile or two (and it's only at an excruciatingly slow pace). You don't want to strain yourself, so you take it easy.  Food is fuel, so you eat well and liberally.  You play out the race in your mind and it is straightforward.  The next day it won't feel so effortless . . .  But luckily, the pain of past races is dulled by the effects of time and memory and for that day before the race, it's still your race to imagine--an easy stride, ideal splits, a strong finish--they all feel very tenable.  You put in the training.  Your spirits are high.

This last Sunday, I ran the Santa Cruz Half Marathon.  I'd covered this distance before--I'd already run three half marathons and one of them was the exact same race two years earlier--but it was also my first race in almost that time (two years).  So come Sunday morning, I was sick with nerves.  On Saturday though . . . I was still enthusiasm, the race was only speculation and the day was all mine.

Below are some photos from the day before our race:

The day started off with some buckwheat (not the dog) waffles.  Then it was down to the Boardwalk to pickup our race packets and take Buckwheat (the dog) for a short stroll along West Cliff.  The morning was foggy and things were calm.  We watched the surfers watch the waves at Cowell's and then turned around to seek out more food (fuel!).  

Back at home, I laid out my race gear and checked the charge on my electronics (because one time I showed up to a race certain that my iPod was charged, only to find it was effectively dead).  I browsed the internet and looked up the splits for my goal time.  I unfurled on the couch and watched a few shows.  I tidied up the condo and futzed around with my half-marathon playlist. 

For dinner we loaded our plates with carbs (whole wheat spaghetti and garlic bread) and once we ate those, we went back for seconds.  After dinner we went up into the hills to watch the sunset and then on the way home, we stopped for dessert.  Really, it was a perfect way to spend the day before a race . . .  

. . . the race itself, wasn't so perfect.  I went out too fast and then raced too conservatively because I was afraid of dying out before the finish.  I set a personal best (1:46:44) but I fell short of my goal time (01:45:00).  My stride wasn't easy, my splits were off and my finish wasn't as strong as I'd hoped.  But hey, there's always next time!

(I should add that there was a lot that went really well during the race and while I was disappointed that I didn't hit my goal, I was also happy to have run the race so successfully.  Most runners are primarily racing against themselves--or at least that's how I feel about it--and in that sense, I was a winner.  But now that it's done and my legs aren't feeling weak, I'm itching to break 1:45:00.  So despite my "win", I kind of can't wait for my next day before a race!)