Last week was pretty intense for me. A week ago on Saturday I went on a little trail run with Jon and Rini and the San Francisco Running Company group. It was great because they had Nike shoes for everyone to try if they wanted. I was able to snag a pair of the Wildhorse 3's, which I was happy about since I've been wanting to give them a test run!

Unfortunately in my excitement I neglected to take any photos of them.

A quick review. I did like them. I had to size up to a 7.5 which surprised me since I never usually have to go larger than a 7. They were solid on the trails, but they felt a bit stiff. I prefer them over the kiger 3's since they have a bit more cushioning, especially on the heel. The grip was great, never questioned that part, and the upper was very comfortable. I really love how wide the toebox is, yet it isn't floppy or clunky. When I came back from the run, I put my Hoka Challenger's on, and I immediately realized how narrow that toe box is (in the Hoka's) in comparison.

Now back to the run. Rini and I were the caboose to the lightning fast SFRC train. I can never keep up with any of them! A good portion of the people that run on Saturdays there are elites, so there's that. Then the rest of them are just one half step below elites.

Photo Credit: Rini Sugianto

We meandered through the hills, and managed to get our prescribed 16 miles in for the day. We were walk/running for the majority of it, and I was feeling pretty great! My feet were my only complaint, they definitely were aching for the cushioning of the Challenger's. They are complete babies when it comes to anything that aren't Hoka's now.

Photo Credit: Rini Sugianto

The next day Jon and I woke up bright and early again and headed to our favorite Peninsula trail at Huddart Park. Jon was only scheduled to do a light 4 miler, so I ended up going solo for our usual 10 mile route.

You would think I would know the trail by now since we've done it at least five times. But no. As soon as Jon was out of sight I was lost. Johan is probably laughing at me, since we've talked about this. I always say I like to follow runners instead of leading, and he mentioned that I won't take notice to where I'm going.

The VERY FIRST TURN, I was lost. I got turned around three times, adding an additional mile to my run. It didn't help that my legs were unusually sore that day and I was feeling some pain in my right knee on the way up.

I wanted to scream by the third time I got lost, and instead just pulled out my google maps and followed a trail back to the car. In my defense, the trails at Huddart are VERY confusing. I also was instinctively correct on each turn I made but then would second guess and go backwards and then forward again.

I hobbled my way down at an excruciatingly slow pace. My knee was really acting up, and I just wanted to finish the stupid run. The weather was unusually warm, and was not helping my attitude.

I took Monday and Tuesday off, and went to see Dr. Dade (sports chiropractor) about my knee. I wasn't limping when walking and I didn't think it was a big deal. He worked on it some, and thought it was probably tweaked from a tight calf which caused my knee to bend too soon.

Wednesday came, and I headed out for a 10k. It hurt. I was hobbling. The internal battle trying to decide if I should go on or turn back was ongoing. The pain started to subside so I continued on, but I was certainly not going fast. Butttt...my heart rate was great! *smile*

Thursday came and I wanted to test out my knee again. The first half mile was even worse but then the pain started to go away completely. It seems like it's fine but if I step off slightly, it messed up the tracking of my patella and it would leave me hobbling for 10 steps or so.

Friday was a rest day, and Saturday I thought I would stick to the flat trails to get my long runs in. I also taped my knee according to some YouTube instructions that my doc sent me. I think it helped because I felt much better.

Once I warm up, the pain isn't even there at all. I finished my 18 miler feeling great with an average 10:20 pace and a 144 heart rate! It was incredible!

I came home and iced it right away and decided to take some Vitargo since I never gave it an honest shot and had a gigantic tub taking up a square foot of space on our counter.

It is a super starch that is digested insanely quick, and is supposed to aid in recovery. It tastes okay. There's a slight slimy consistency to it, but I like the flavor. I made the mistake once of adding water to it once the powder was on the bottom and it just made a giant sticky ball within the shaker ball. This time I read the instructions, and put in room temperature water first halfway, then a scoop (they say 2 scoops but I don't need 280 calories) and then top it off with cold water, THEN shake.

Sunrise!

Either my body was really happy about not running up a mountain, or the vitargo worked, or maybe both...but I was SUPER hyper and productive yesterday. I managed to finish my 18 miler, then make breakfast, clean the entire house (an actual proper cleaning), bathe our stinky dog, paint a painting with a friend, go grocery shopping, do all the laundry, and squeeze in lots of time to stare at imgur.

First time painting in a while! Water soluble oil paints

I'm home alone too while Jon attempted to climb Whitney with his family, so getting up before 6 is not very easy for me to do solo. But I did it TWICE. TWICE!!! I got up early to beat the heat this weekend, and ran another 10 miles on the bay trail. My knee felt even better, although definitely not 100%. I decided to take it easy and just play photographer for the day. The sunrise was spectacular.

I'm also happy that the birds are coming back for the fall! I love seeing all of them on the trail.

The best part? I ran by the area where I saw the "Goats at Work" sign, and to my utter delight, the entire field was littered with Goats! They were PLOWING through this field like it was nothing. Incredible!

I (clearly) took a lot of photos. And videos. And then I just stared at them and tried to make friends. This run was evidently not a serious one.

Once I peeled myself away from the beautiful distraction, I trotted back home and was reminded of the reason I got up so early in the first place. The sun is really unforgiving on the bay trail, I'm glad I didn't sleep in.

I was pleased to see that my pace was sub 10, and my heart rate still below MAF. I took some more Vitargo, because why not? and I once again had a steady flow of energy to help me get chicken feed, and wander around the mall in a desperate attempt to buy new clothes. I was barely successful.

Anyway, this weekend I might stick with the flat paths again if my knee isn't up to it. Sunday is the San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon, so I'm looking forward to that! Unfortunately I think I'll probably have to go MAF style so I don't make my injury any worse. It's a bummer since it's such a flat course, but oh well! At least the ol' legs still work!

OH! And last but not least, I did the JP Morgan Corporate challenge with our Storm8 team! I organize this run every year, and it is always so much fun! I managed to run a 7:49min/mi. I have to admit, I was a bit bummed when my strava said 7:39, but I guess I ran an extra tenth of a mile. Booooo....but it was a lot of fun. Here's some photos!

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An achy knee, lots of MAF, and most importantly... GOATS!

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For the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to find a good routine, and figure out what exactly my goals are for the rest of the year. I can't say I've settled on anything, but my lack of structure has resulted in several days of soreness beyond what I've been used to. I decided that I wanted to be a rock climber, super strong, super fast, and be able to run super far. I think I might need to whittle down that list to one or two.

Some quick highlights this week:

Monday was the good ol' Boston Marathon. I went to the climbing gym and had it streaming on my phone for a couple of hours while I occasionally scrambled up the wall. The most exciting part of the race to me was the women's epic battle at the finish line between Mare Dibaba and Caroline Rotich. I was rooting for Dibaba, but you could totally tell by the giant grin on Rotich's face that she had it. Was a great race to watch! 

The sprint to the finish - Boston Marathon 2015

I did a short run Tuesday that was uneventful, and for Earth Day on Wednesday I had impulsively decided to run the six miles to work. Since I failed to plan ahead, I had to load my giant 17" macbook along with my clothes and shower things in my little Nike bag.

It would have been a great commute but hauling the laptop was a pain. I was doing a 10:30-11 min mile with a heart rate over 160. It was very taxing on the lil' legs of mine, and the weight caused a lot of bouncing even though I had the straps as tight as they would go. The entire run I had to hold my hands in the straps and pull them away so it wouldn't bounce and chafe my back and shoulders. The trip back, I left everything at work and felt free as a bird. It was a great way to end the day.

Despite that bit of a nightmare with the backpack, I really enjoyed it and want to incorporate it into my training on Wednesdays. Oh and hey, I run right by the picturesque Oracle buildings.

Getting ready to run to work

The Oracle Buildings

My selfie in front of the Storm8 sign, where I work.

Friday night, I dragged Jon to the climbing gym. I managed to complete a single V3, although it wasn't easy. I'm still pretty weak, and I burn out fast. To kill some more time, I did some weights, and then Jon's Myrtle Routine. Apparently it's what the cool people do. And also people like me, who find it tough and are sore afterward.

This morning (Saturday) I rolled out of bed, and we headed to our favorite nearby trail - Huddart Park in Woodside, CA. I love this trail, even though every time I do it, it kicks my butt and leaves me longing for some coffee...and a nap. The hill is long and sometimes brutal (especially that last .5 miles at the top), but the paths are all shaded by tall Redwood pines and are padded with soft dirt and pine needles (the BEST ground in my opinion).

It was a drizzly and windy out, but we were protected by most of the elements from the tree coverage. That doesn't mean it was easy. I had no idea that my body was going to be in so much pain, especially from the workout less than 12 hours prior. I used to be able to run almost the entire route, but this time I was constantly walking and my heart rate was in the 180's for most of the way up. Compared to a similar run last year, I was 2 minutes per mile slower! It wasn't pretty. It was very humbling actually, and the cold reality hit me of just how unprepared I am for the Double Dipsea, which is almost 3x's the elevation with only 3 additional miles. Eek.

Who wears short shorts? Jon wears short shorts! Check out the view!

I pushed myself through the pain. Jon was taking footage me of the whole way up with the fancy GoPro I got him, and I found it hard to not complain every time I was in front of the camera. Then my fake happiness just ended up being clear sarcasm. Can't win either way. You can watch a video of me suffering here: https://vimeo.com/126022278   But be sure to turn it down around 28 seconds in, the music starts off a bit loud. A big thank you to Jon for editing it and putting it up so soon!

The shoes I wore were the Nike Zoom Terra Wildhorses (the first version). I don't wear them often because I'm addicted to the cushion Hoka's give me, but these make me feel very nimble, and the tread is super sticky and grippy. I love the way they fit my feet. I haven't tried the newer versions, but I might give them a try next. These still have plenty of life in them, even though they currently have 224 miles on them.

The Wildhorses

Oh yeah, and my friend Rini convinced me to go on a trip with her and her husband (and two fluffy puppies) to Mammoth Lakes to climb up Crystal Crag in a couple of weeks. Be sure to check out Rini's Trip Reports on Outdoor Project. She's such a badass! 

The climb will be a totally new experience for me, but I'm fortunate to be guided by two awesome and experienced people. I'm slowly going to start collecting backpacking gear so I can join them on more of their trips out in the wilderness. My first big purchase was this 45+10 ARC Deuter Women's Bag, which conveniently fits my little dog Jack. 

My little Jack Pack.

Other than that, life is pretty great. I've been spending my remaining free time out in the garden, where Jon hooked up an awesome irrigation system. The garden is flourishing more than ever, and I'm really excited to watch it grow! Time to go pass out now.

Fresh strawberries, coming soon!

My tomato plants are growinggg.

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Huddart Park and this week's recap

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