Back from my run, my bright OSHA-orange shirt covered to prevent reader blindness.

I hadn’t realized that the days were getting so much shorter until I went out for Saturday’s long run. Setting my alarm for 5:30, I managed to drive the 20 miles south to Milpitas before the cloudy sky even began to glow.

The Plan

• Monday, 8/2: 30 minute easy run
• Tuesday, 8/3: Tempo runs with the team, plus kickboxing
• Wednesday, 8/4: Yoga at home
• Thursday, 8/5: Kickboxing
• Friday, 8/6: Mandatory rest
• Saturday, 8/7: 7-mile easy run, plus Pilates
• Sunday, 8/8: 60 minutes of cycling

One of the benefits of having my Team runs in Dublin is that the afternoon winds tend to make it at least five degrees cooler than at our house, one town over. This week was the exception to that meteorological rule, and the hot, still air of late afternoon was unpleasant.

This week’s Team workout was tempo running. We did a mile of easy warm-up, followed by 4 minutes of moderately hard running, 1:30 of easy running, repeated three times and capped off with a mile-long cooldown and stretch. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that even though my legs were tired, I wasn’t terribly winded at the end of the workout.

On Saturdays, I try to fit in my run early in the morning before my 8:00 Pilates session in Milpitas. Usually I run locally, come home, grab my stuff and head south for the session. This week, I decided to vary my routine and drove down first, then used Apex as the hub for my run. I was stunned to discover that even at 6:00, the sun had barely illuminated the early morning clouds. Where did the long days of summer go?

I set out across the highway overpass with the intention of running the Coyote Creek trail, but when I got to the entry I realized just how desolate the trail looked and how dark the sky was. Even with my bright OSHA-orange shirt on for visibility, I wasn’t convinced that the trail was my best option. I opted to stay on McCarthy Blvd for safety and ran down to the bookstore and back for my morning loop. The road was pretty quiet, so it was just me, the flocks of honking geese in the field and the cop who periodically passed by, no doubt wondering why on earth I was running past the empty office buildings at that hour.

I struggle to run alone. This is particularly funny because I never thought that I liked running with people, but there’s something to be said for having someone nearby to help pace you.

Tags: kickboxing, pilates, running, Safety, team in training, tempo run, trail

« Previous Entry Next Entry »