Run Rene Run...

Last week was week 5 and I realized I was a week behind on my countdown (LOL!). I finally got into the groove of the workout schedule and energy management. I was able to ramp it up this week and finally do a longer bike ride on Saturday afternoon with Kathleen of Forging Ahead. We did the gorgeous Paradise Loop (easy version) and since I normally do the hilly version, I almost forgot how nice and cool it is to just bike around the water. Also, we saw whales from the Golden Gate Bridge on the way back. Perfect! In total, I managed 2 swims, 3 bikes and 2 runs. I've added another rock to my zen garden fitness tracker (7 total) and will add another this week. I'm hoping to add some bricks in there and get some more gear that I need. I am going to go to the SFM expo and check out the deals.




In the weight/energy management department, I've been doing HFLC and carb cycling, which is working out great. I'm 7 pounds down since May. I've added sweet potato on mid week and …

This week's training: Almost 7 hours!
4th of July Bike/Run brick workout
2 group runs with Back on My Feet Team SoMa
Morning Ride through Presidio
Open Water Swim with Pedro
Stand Up Paddling
Summer of Love Iyengar Yoga Celebration with Theresa Marks at IYISF
Lots of walks in the park with the dog!


This weekend, I felt I needed to rest and stretch, so I opted for an Iyengar yoga workout. It was a great way to check-in with my past injury and notice how much better my back and hip feels. Hardly any pain. For months I felt like the pain would never go away. My doctor said I am at risk of injury again so that is always in the back of my mind. I don't want to mess it up before the tri. I really like this yoga, it feels really supportive with the use of props. Even though I'm physically active, I am not always in tune with what my body needs. It's hard to stop and rest as I feel I always need to keep on going and do more. Coming back from injury I feel I need to double dow…

This week, focused more on time and quantity of workouts. Each workout will have some kind of purpose whether it's speed, endurance or active recovery. I'm tracking my week with a zen rock garden. Each rock is a workout, aiming for an hour each. I did a swim, a bike, 2 runs and 3 hours of paddling on Sunday around Alcatraz and Aquatic Park which counts as 2 rocks. I was so sore the next day! Next week I will try to add in some brick workouts. Each day I try to do at least one thing that will help me improve or get ready for race day.

Run: 13
Bike: 60 commute + 12 miles on my new bike!
Swim: 0 (had to go to last PT on swim day and arms too sore from paddling this weekend!)






I finally broke down and invested in a good deal on a tri bike. Luckily I know someone very knowledgeable about building bikes and customizing it for the rider. It's an older Cervélo but is perfect for me. It is really fun to ride and the kind of bike you dream about riding as if it were a new toy. The wind picks up in the afternoon here and normally I don't enjoy biking out in the wind but on this bike, it's not an issue. I managed to get some PRs that I hope to break. I had been teetering on the fence about investing in triathlon gear but now that I have this bike, it's motivating me to do more races. I guess you could call it a gamechanger.

Normally, stand up paddleboarding doesn't take it out of me but this weekend it was so windy that it was a battle to get anywhere. I'm experimenting with different positions to keep …

Countdown to #USATAGNC! Here's how week 9 training went. I went from zero to 15.5 miles on my running. I got 4 runs in, an interval bike session, 2 swims and a little strength. Pain is gone! I lost 5 lbs from going HFLC / sugar-free and feeling a lot stronger. I was getting worried for a second, but it went away just in time for tri-training. I have an 8 week program and my aerobic base got a little messed up by the injury, but I'm getting  up there quick. It was difficult to add in the second bike session but that's because I just started running again and I am getting 50 miles on my commute, plus some miles towing my sup on my bike uphill. Our Back on My Feet running group is growing with a lot of new members and volunteers, and they are getting ready for the SF Marathon!
For my swim, I devised some simple open water swim workouts (below) so I will be training 100% open water. They changed the schedule at my pool and I was a little frustrated at first but this works out …

May was a busy month. It's the month where I actually try to log my bike commute miles for bike month for local and national challenges and enjoy bike to work day! This year I volunteered with a bike to work day energizer station, which was really fun. My workplace is very supportive of cycling, and most of us ride on two wheels. It feels great to work for a company that is a certified bike friendly business and also a supporting business member of the local bike advocacy groups.
This month I also volunteered with Back on My Feet, enjoyed two backyard barbecues, helped with the WWS Alcatraz swim event and tri-training, and had a wonderful family visit. I did some physical therapy, changed my diet and now finally feel ready to start the tri- training. I changed my diet back to HFLC to help keep the inflammation down, and feel an improvement in just one week. We had some nice hot days, but the fog came back and THE WIND! It already feels like San Francisco summer is in full swing.










…

April was a busy month! We had two races with Back on My Feet: The Oakland Running Festival and Presidio 10. Our members celebrated several milestones, such as first 100 miles for a San Francisco Member and first 50 miles. We had another 25-mile milestone in Team SoMA with several others about to get it.   Spring is in full swing for all kinds of outdoor fun! We had some April showers, then ended it with some really warm weather. Let's go out and get it!





I got rid of my futon couch and instead use a hamaca! It is so comfortable and much better for my back.  My room is spacious and airy and I can take it outside. Warning: it's really hard to get out of the hamaca because it is so cozy.

I'm running for: Back on My Feet, because: For every $1 donated nearly $2.50 returns to the community through increased economic activity and cost savings! Donate or RUN WITH US!

After the Kaiser half, I had been feeling some pain in my hip, lower back, and down my left leg. This was really frustrating, (a real pain in the butt!) and took some time to figure out. My self-diagnosis was piriformis syndrome. The pain would come and go but I could still run. In fact, it's better when I stay moderately active rather than laying around. What seems to be working is decreased easy mileage, stretching, warming up, and strength training. Here are some of the stretches and things I do every day, twice a day.
Cat and Cow PoseChild's PoseDownward Facing DogPigeon PoseLeg and calf stretches from the floor, with or without bandHip crossover stretch Basically, any yoga stretches for your back. Fish oil really helps, in the morning and evening. Every now and then, I have to take an Advil. After a few weeks of stretching, I can incorporate some strength training:
Clamshells (with resistance band)Glute Bridges (with resistance band)Side leg lift (with resistance band)Lunge…

This is my 6th year participating in The Oakland Running Festival and the event seems to be getting bigger and better every year! The new venue at East Shore Park was definitely an upgrade.

RECAP:
I took public transportation to Oakland and rode my bike to East Shore Park. Luckily I found parking parked in front of the Pergola. There I met up with other BoMF runners Danielle and Brittney. They were on the fast track to finish under 2 hours but my goal was to be conservative and save it for the end. My last half marathon wasn't so great and I was walking a lot at the end so I wanted to run smarter this time. Still getting over a little hip pain. We did a build this week at BoMF morning runs, gradually increasing the distance of each run. So I peaked out this week with 31 miles, which is my max this year so far!

I stuck with traditional fueling, having a high carb meal before the race and packed gu and electrolytes. It was such a beautiful warm spring day, which means scorching hot …

Spring is here! Things are starting to heat up! I had weekly group swims, an Alcatraz crossing, weekly runs with BoMF, eating more vegetarian, baking bread and pizzas, playing with pup at the dog park and cracking open the sketchbook. My family team is over 700 miles for our 2017 miles in 2017 goal! This year I'm finding it hard to make 20 miles a week and do rides, but it's something that I continually strive for. I think I'm past the aches and pains and can hopefully do more miles and up the strength. I'm enjoying the light after work to squeeze some activities in.