Huddart Park and this week's recap

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.