Ready To Start

The New(er) Job
What a difference.  It's kind of like I went on a job diet.  I have the same type of job with 50% less BS.  No job is 100% BS free, but I've got a feeling everything IS going to be OK. I feel lighter already.

The Hubs
We celebrated Hubs birthday on Thursday. It was a kick-back occasion with a couple of friends and our immediate family. One of the highlights was this sweatshirt:

A sweatshirt from his SDSU daughter

The Running
I've been sort of bad about attending the track club's Tuesday night track workout, but I attended last Tuesday.  We did 800's with a 400m recovery.  It would have been killer IF I had pushed myself harder, but I'm trying not to get hurt.  This, too, shall pass.  It's not the fear of injury, it's that I've decided to take a more conservative approach (this year) and build up gradually.

I also ran with the track club on Saturday, at the La Jolla Shores "Low Tide" run.

 Pre run C-C-C-C-C-C-COLD!  Michelle and I were thinking warm thoughts.

I love the beach and the idea of running right on the beach sounds sort of romantic - with the sight and sound of the waves crashing along the shore, the crisp ocean air after a rainstorm the night before, and the sight of a few hundred runners running on the beach...

...BUT I'm not a big fan of actually running on the beach only because I end up feeling more beat up than when I run on a paved road.  The unevenness of the sand always leaves me feeling awkward.  There's also a segment of the run where we have to slowly trek over a few huge mounds of rocks, and I almost always seem to tweak a muscle or tendon while making my way over those rocks.  I often run at the beaches (here in the San Diego area) on the paved walkway that goes along the most of the beaches.

As I was saying, I ran with the track club on Saturday.  This run goes from La Jolla Shores, up to Del Mar then comes back to La Jolla via Torrey Pines and the infamous hill.  Since I'm not training for a marathon,  I ditched the run up to Del Mar, and trekked directly up the hill after the jaunt on the beach.  As slow as I was going, I was still in running formation, meaning: I wasn't walking.  I kept running posture the entire time, up hill, the little engine who could.  I believe this was the first time I've ever run up that particular hill without stopping or walking. 

Notice the elevation gain???

I'm glad this hill was a part of the run this week, just so I could wrap my mind around the idea of running up this hill halfway into the half marathon on April 17, 2011. Now that I've made it up (and down) that hill, I think I'm (mentally) ready.

Post run with hubs. By the way, it was COLD.   I had three layers on for this photo op.  Yeah, I'll admit to being a weather wuss.

There's a saying I've heard actor Will Smith use:  "If you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready."  Those are great words to live by, especially when it comes to running.  To be half marathon ready for months on end is a good thing.

I'm ready.

It feels good to say that.

Last Sunday's Song:
How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty

PEACE