West Siiiideee! - Training Recap of Weeks 1 & 2

To be honest, the first two weeks didn't go as planned.  My better half and I flew out to explore the west coast the Saturday before week 1, so I should have known that it was going to be hard to get up the motivation to run when there were so many other things to do.  I did get 3 pretty spectacular runs in, though.

Mission Beach to Crystal Pier (3.2 miles)

Wow.  That's all I have to say.  This is absolutely the most amazing location for a run.  Ever.  There's a wide, flat, paved path that runs right along the beach.  The ocean is on one side and there are beautiful homes on the other.  The unique thing about the architecture of these homes is that most of them incorporate a lot of glass and often times the entire font of the home opens up to allow for ocean views and cool breezes.  Needless to say, open homes on one side and beach on the other makes for some incredible people watching.  I suppose it's no wonder that this stretch of beach attracts a lot of runners and it does get a bit crowded on the path at times.  This wasn't an issue for me as I started my run spectacularly early by west coast standards.  Really, I love Baltimore, but don't be surprised if you hear about me moving out to San Diego at some point in the distant future.  I wish I were still there.

Venice Beach to Santa Monica Pier (4.2 miles)

Wow, but that *different* kind of wow.  Let's talk about Venice for a minute.  The entire area smells of urine and weed.  There are a ton of "Khush Doctors" all over the boardwalk and a huge population of homeless people.  Some appear to be genuinely in need while others appear to have made a conscious decision to move out to LA and live on the beach, for whatever reason.

Imagine you're Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, only in reverse.  You're perfectly fine and sober.  It's everyone else that's on drugs.

Did I just see that group of Hare Krishnas dancing with Gene Simmons?  Is that wrinkly, old Indian man really selling hand painted portraits of Barbara Streisand while rapping "It Ain't No Fun"?  Did that dog just ask me for money?  

Yes.  Yes he did.  Keep running.

The path from Venice to Santa Monica had a lot of twists and turns, but was situated between the beach and shops on the other side, much like the path in San Diego.  There was a ton to see, some of which I would have rather not seen.  The highlight for me was running underneath the Santa Monica Pier and past the "Tsunami Hazard Zone" signs.

Vegas (3.1 miles)
I ran this one on a treadmill at one of the gyms in the MGM Signature.  This run was pretty boring but I have to say that this was probably the nicest treadmill I've ever used, and the cold, damp washcloths they arranged on ice... well, that was a nice touch too.  Maybe I should drop that one in the suggestion box at the Y.  ;)

Things that distracted me from completing my other runs included:

• Wild dolphins in Mission Beach
• Wild Seals in La Jolla
• A surfing lesson 
• Lots of delicious Mexican food at Mr. Roberto's 
• Crystal Pier
• Randomly running into some family friends from Baltimore
• Watching the game at a Raven's bar in Pacific Beach
• The San Diego Zoo
• Winning 2nd place on trivia night with the hubs at The Beachcomber
• Meeting some crazy New Yorkers who introduced us to Chey Jay
• The Santa Monica Pier
• Grauman's Chinese Theatre
• The Walk of Fame
• Rodeo Drive
• The LaBrea Tar Pits
• Driving through the Mojave Desert... in a Mustang :D
• Dinner at FiAMMA in the MGM Grand
• Our first visit to old Vegas
• Getting upgraded to the penthouse at the MGM Signature (What a view!)

Whelp, that brings us up to date through week 2.  I'll be back to update you all through week 4 soon.  Until then, here's my stolen motivational image of the day:

The Plan

Clearly, the next logical step is a half marathon.  I could plan an 8K race, or even a 10K, but the way I see it... what's the difference between planning an 8K race and running 8K as part of a training plan?  

Not a whole lot.  

While the goodie bag and the encouragement of spectators are certainly a boost, I feel entirely confident that I can do this without the support of sponsors or signs, as much as I'd prefer to have both.  

I recently joined a running group here in the Baltimore area and a few of the more experienced guys suggested that the race in Rehoboth, DE on December 8th might be an ideal choice for a first time half-marathoner.  I hear it's cold, but flat.  I haven't registered yet, but I will.  Soon.

I'm going to try to stick to the Hal Higdon Novice 2 plan.  It means I start training during my summer vacation (September 17th) , but I suppose that's not an entirely bad thing.  At least I'll have plenty of free time to accommodate my runs for the first week and a half or so.

In the meantime I've been trying to bump up my regular runs in small increments.  I'm pretty comfortable with 3 mile runs about 3-4 times per week, so I've been pushing it to 3.5.  

I'll continue to keep you all updated!

In The Beginning There Was The 5K

I've never been very athletic.  I've never played on a sports team.  I was always the kid that got picked last and pegged in the face with the ball during gym class.

I don't tell you this because I enjoy recalling the countless number of times I've been hit in the head with dodge balls.  Trust me, I don't.  I tell you this to give you some perspective on my story.

I started running in January of this year.  The longest race I've ever run is a 5K.  My goal is to make the transition from 5K to marathon in the next 365 days.  This blog exists to document my journey.  I hope it will inspire you in the same way that so many of your blogs have inspired me.