Monday, August 16th, 2010
This post is only a recap of the last two weeks’ training, which is part of chronicling an 18-week training cycle. Sorry, there’s nothing worth reading here — it’s just a rundown of nerdy, obsessive details that only a runner would care about — but stay tuned: I am working on a longer post about last week’s trip to Yosemite, which will have practical advice about where to run in that glorious national park. (more…)
Sunday, July 18th, 2010
Training to run an ultra sometimes feels as shaky as my commitment to do more gardening and eat less meat. I want to be able to run double or more the distance I do now, just as I want to replant our flower box and eat lower on the food chain, but then I wonder if I like the idea of doing those things more than actually doing them.
On Thursday, I emailed some friends to find out about their weekend long-run plans, hoping to tag along and recharge in the company of others since my motivation to do a long run was wavering. I knew I needed a friend or an inspiring course to help me go the distance and remind me why the weekend long run is so crucial to training and ultimately so satisfying. Thankfully, I got both and unexpectedly found myself on the cliff-hugging Miwok and Coastal trails in Marin. (more…)
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
A peaceful run last week overlooking Lago Nahuel Huapi in the Patagonia lake district of Argentina.
Staying safe while running is always an issue, but as Morgan and I find ourselves running in some rather far-flung places during our year abroad, safety has become a top concern. Two days ago, for instance, we left the kids in our cabaña and went to run a remote dirt road above the town of Bariloche, Argentina, in the Andean range of Patagonia. Our picture-perfect run suddenly turned threatening, and tense moments ensued. (more…)
Friday, September 26th, 2008
I’m putting a tease here at the top about someone who’s actually newsworthy: Ann Trason. The other day I had the chance to sit down and talk with the ultrarunning legend, the woman who has broken 20 world records. So read on if you want to hear a bit about her. But first, I have some catching up to do.
I started this blog in August and promptly back-burnered it, like so many half-baked projects that clutter my office countertop. Who has time? I had to get my kids adjusted to the second and fifth grades, schedule their afterschool activities, report and write a freelance article, start a Cub Scout den, repaint my daughter’s room, develop a personal website (to be launched soon), etc. etc. — all the while obsessively following news of the unfolding political and economic drama, and — oh yeah, I can’t let this drop off — continuing physical therapy for injury rehab. Phew. Throughout it all, I made steady improvements in my running. I’m about 75 – 80 percent back to normal, in terms of speed, weekly mileage, and the strain I can put on my right foot before it starts “talking back to me.” I rejoined my old track group on Wednesday mornings and for the first time this week managed to bump up from a safe and steady tempo pace to some faster intervals (a few 400s at approx 1:25 and a couple of 800s at 3:00 flat). I felt so satisfied and centered afterward, as though I had rediscovered the feeling of “flow.” Mostly, I was flush with gratitude. Gratitude, and perspective. Here’s where my conversation with Ann Trason comes in. (more…)
