Erin Go Run

“This is where people bring their out of town friends when it’s too cloudy for the beach.” The view from the top of Mt Soledad is one that is meant to be enjoyed by out of town friends and locals alike. The hardest part is running there and even more so, running back down from the mountain.  

I went running with an ex-teammate, current friend, from my new place in Pacific Beach up to the Cross (that is still there). The run up to the mountain was a tough one, but an enjoyable one that might become a regular run for me. There were a few things that I had to keep in mind running with Dennis that would keep the stereotypes out of his head and the jokes from flying about after the run. It is kind of like when a girl plays basketball with the guys, she has to learn to catch the ball and not duck from it, run around the court instead of standing under the basket, and most importantly she has to make a basket when completely open (this does allow for two handed throws and granny shots). Likewise in running, the girl has to learn to not talk the entire run and she has to push on hills and not stop to walk when she gets a side stitch… more about this later.  

We started up the hill and kept a good pace. The first couple of minutes I tried to chat a little bit, asking what he did the previous night, etc… and quickly shut the hell up when I remembered all of the stereotype jokes that were told about running with girls from back in the college days. So we went up the hill, steady pace. I weakened a little bit when we passed the location that I thought was the Cross. After making it up the hill to the top of Soledad, I immediately took to the view and swallowed my pride of being a girl and asked to walk around the hill to take in the view (of course I got the stereotypical male sigh that screams “oh, girls…” with rolling eyes).  Anyone who is anyone that lives or has stepped foot in San Diego should at one point in their lives take in the view from the mountain. If you can’t run there, driving is acceptable. There are many views of every part of San Diego to enjoy. Dennis and I took the lap, enjoyed the view, and started down the hill again…. 

… cue side stitch. 

In a nutshell, it was much more painful to run down the hill than up it. Whether I changed my stride, was breathing irregularly from the stop and go, or couldn’t control my breathing cause I couldn’t talk, my side cramped up so tightly that I began running as if I had a monkey on my back (in high school it would have been known as a bear). Somehow I made it down the hill and got to enjoy the aftermath of a great run.

I really challenged myself this morning; I ran from my house in Solana Beach to work in Carlsbad. While I mainly told myself that it would just be a nice long run, deep down I knew that I was testing my fitness and seeing if I stood a chance to run an hour-and-a-half, half marathon come April. Starting off I felt unstoppable; much like you would feel anytime you are preparing for a challenge (whether it is a marathon race or a run at the beach on your lunch- again, thanks guys). I had certain points picked out to check my watch and get a feel for my pace. Within thirty minutes I was already running through Cardiff. I was on pace for one hell of a run!

Getting prepared for a run like this I had to make the run much less intimidating; Solana, Encinitas, Leucadia, College Hill, work. All I had to do was run from point to point. This stop sign, that light; couple hills, you got this, E. I had some jelly beans in the little pocket of my running tights and my iPod to keep me distracted. I was chugging along, waving at passer bys, enjoying the view….

…and then i got hit with lack of motivation. I am not sure what to attribute it to; the mini streets where cars don’t think about pedestrians, bikers and traffic trying to share lanes with me, or just fear that I still might not make a good time it if I kept this same pace. I contemplated calling co-workers to come pick me up; I stopped at stoplights just to stop (most runners run lights when they can); and worst of all began thinking about this performance in a marathon, let alone a half!

By the time I got within two miles of work, I had managed to re-energize myself to make it up the mile-long College Hill. Arriving at work, fatigued and disappointed, I had clocked the same damn half-marathon time that I have been running for years; STILL unable to break it. Walking into the office, I had the admiration of co-workers to lift my spirits and to take the run positively. As many of yesterday’s team members approached to talk of sore muscles and lactic acid, I immediately smiled as I knew in a matter of minutes I would have those same complaints….

… at lunch, Tyler asked; “So you think you’ll ever run from your new place in PB?”

… Wonder what the title of that blog post will be…

I took the office (save for the smokers and salespeople) on a run today at the beach. It was a great experience and one worth blogging about. There were some that went out too fast, some that had to walk… But in the end, Team eVisibility did a run-and succeeded.

The preparation was alot of fun. Everyone heard someone else was going running and decided to join. Hearing how many people were coming got me pumped to run. We got to the beach and had a few moments to stretch…..

… and then we were off!

We ran together, single file when necessary, and watched Alex take the lead. Maybe it was the excitement to be away from his PPC’ing or just to be close to the waves; wonder how long this would last….

Running along our merry way, we all got a great view of the ocean, the sunny blue skies, and of the French man running (we-we- ze French can run- huh ho)…

Of course, in my excitement, I was running in and out of everyone, speeding up to take pictures, laughing at people’s strides, and encouraging all of the brave souls that were out there with me….

The regulars that run with me every Monday were having just as much fun, maybe even showing off a little Wearing muscle shirts and even taking them off…..

At the end of the run, the regulars had sprinted to the end, the brave were picked up, and salad was eaten. To Team eVisibility- Alex, Ricardo, George, Said, Tyler, and Mia: You have made my day and helped me get one step closer to getting the entire office into the running addiction I call health…..

 …smokers, you are next!

Brushing your teeth, putting on sunscreen, running your scheduled run… something we all appreciate after its done; but it never fails that we will try our damndest to talk ourselves out of it before going through. When I plan out a run, I begin it sometimes with a negative perspective. Sometimes I am even thinking negatively before I even think about the run. It’s too ambitious, I won’t have time, someone might be calling me and I will miss the conversation, etc. etc.

It is one of the biggest challenges of running; to stick to your plan, go out, and potentially have the run of your life. It’s much easier to shorten it, run it at a slower pace, or to not even run it at all (if, suppose, you are starving at the time and would rather just eat instead). Every runner knows that after a short warm-up, any doubts will disappear and they will feel better about the run, stick to their original plan, and be happy after the run. But how many of us actually think that far in advance when we are putting our running shoes on? 

If you find yourself doubting how a run will go, how you will do, or whether you even want to do it, a simple trick that running magazines won’t tell you is to SUCK IT UP. Think about the blacked out/ missed workout on your calendar. Or better yet, think about the starving children in Africa that– (just kidding- Bless their poor hearts). If that doesn’t work, another trick is to think about the halfway point and getting there. Once you get halfway, it is just a countdown until you are done. In the end, the point is to challenge yourself to beat your negativity. You never know; you could surprise yourself with a good run (it works for me, anyways).

A conversation that took place  in the office today: 

“No running today, runner?”

 ”She ran.”

“The End.”

…Fade to black…