Aeron: July 2008 Archives

It's seems like a long time since our last expo.  That would be San Diego way back in the first weekend in June.  So getting everything together and out the door for San Fran is excitement all over.

I have this love-hate relationship with travel.  I love getting out in the world and experiencing the nooks and crannies that are out there... the people, food, culture, running paths, etc.  But it's so darn hard for me to leave the house.  I'm a home body, love the nest, love my family --the dogs that don't get to experience the life of a traveling marathon expo road show.  So in preparation for any travel, I go through a bit of anxiety.  I know, they're just dogs, but there my dogs and we wouldn't even be doing this gypsy job it we had children darlings! 

Luckily for me, I don't have to worry about packing my clothes.  I have a whole boutique booth full of great attire, that I'm actually "required" to wear through the duration of the expo.  Oh what a job!  The fact is, I pretty much live in our running divas clothing all the time I'm not in my "work clothes" for the APCD. 

Marc's the one who has the tough packing job.  We sit down and figure out the amount of product that our 10x10 space can handle, talk about the "must have" items for the show, then he spends the day (that's today) packing the boxes and loading the van.  All of this after spending the past 10 days moving his studio to a new location.  He's a super star! 

Yesterday was the best.  I needed to get an early morning run in, and wasn't going to be able to meet up w/ any of my girl friends, so Marc got his bike out and offered to go riding w/ me as I ran!  This is something new and out of the blue.  It was great, we went to Montana de Oro early in the morning and didn't have to worry about any traffic.  Typically if I was to run by myself that early in the morning the whole time I would be thinking about lions and tigers and bears.  Luckily the only thing we encountered was quail and deer -- much serenity, beautiful vistas over looking the ocean and a ton of fog.  We're back to our normal summer soupy fog season.  I think it's great running weather, and perfect moisturizer for my skin.

Oh yeah, speaking of youthful skin -- you got to check out the August issue of Sunset magazine!  I made it on page 67.  Albeit a small photo, that's me (in running divas garb) running up a grass and tree lined sidewalk!  It's an article on small towns w/ big charm and San Luis Obispo was spot-lighted.  Chris Leschinsky, our photographer was asked to do the images for Sunset, and fortunately he ask me to help out w/ the running picture.  Go running divas!  The best part of the story is the caption they placed on the photo which says "SLO combines history with college-town vibrancy."  Yeah, that's right a great looking 41 year old used to depict the college vibrancy.

Speaking of vibrancy -- I hope to have a lot of it today.  Since I'm taking off Thursday and Friday this week from my day-job, I have an extremely hectic meeting schedule that goes late into the evening!  So, I better get on w/ the work-smirk.  I'll try to log on as we're heading up to San Fran. 

Talk w/ you soon.  Take care, aero

Workout's been going well this week.  Started off w/ Monday full cross-training.  3 mi dog hike, 30 minute deep pool run and yoga in the evening.  Love the yoga.  My ankle still holds me back on a few poses, but overall it seems to be healing nicely.  Tomorrow's play track, hills on Saturday then LSD to end the week.  If everything stays the course, I'll be able to hit my goal of 45 miles this week!

I've been able to run with Jennifer three days this morning -- the vampire runners unit.  You can already tell the days are getting shorter (darn it), it's getting darker and darker at 5:30 am.  But now that I'm starting to crank up my mileage and get back into the swing of things, it's so nice knowing that Jennifer is there too, what a great motivator to get outa the door!

Work has been pretty normal this week.  The smoke from the Big Sur wildfires are now over 70% contained, and the air quality has been much better this week.  It takes off the pressure of the media interaction, I like that part of my job, but it is time consuming and pushes everything else I'm working on onto the back burner. 

Marc's making great strides with the move.  He thinks he'll have everything moved into the new shop by the end of this week.  I'm not sure if that's Friday or Saturday.  I'm hoping for Friday so he can take off a full weekend, but with San Fran Marathon next week, I bet he'll want to go into the shop over the weekend to print up some more great diva items.  We bought paint on Tuesday for the studio -- tangerine orange!  We'll start w/ this, and white and see where that leads us.  I'm a little scared of the orange, but it's just paint right?  We can always paint over it (w/ a darker color I guess?).  The lounge opening is likely to occur in September!

Got to get off to work.  More later, aero

okay, now I'm getting back in the groove.  Last week I finally got my mileage to 40 miles w/ five days running, one pool run, play track and lots of family dog hikes.  This week the target if 45.  I'm hoping for six days of running, same cross training as last week, but also throwing in a yoga session this afternoon.

It's seems like until I get to 40 miles I have a tough time keeping my focus -- always coming up w/ many great excusing not to get out there and put in the miles.  But hopefully I've hit the threshold and can keep my momentum rolling.

We're getting ready for SF marathon -- just two weeks away!  Marc is about half way through the move over to our new shop, and this week I hope to start on painting the running divas lounge.  Color scheme, what should it be?  I've put up listings on craigs list for funky furniture and display racks.  I already heard back from someone w/ a green couch... wish they sent a picture.  We have the old pink hair dryer from the 60's that's on our website homepage, and Hurly dropped off an old dentist chair that probably the same vintage.  We're eclectic strong, now we need a sofa for the lounge environment and area to start the interviews! 

Not sure if you have been to flotrack.com before, but this is a great website that's promoting the lifestyle of track and field.  A couple guys doing some top notch work.  Lots of interviews, talk show and workouts -- definitely something that I aspire to bringing to the running divas lounge.  Especially with a diva focus and going well beyond track and field and bringing it full circle to the everyday lifestyle of running divas.  Marc and I are even talking about bringing the lounge concept to the NY marathon and reserving a section of our booth for video interviews. 

As far as work this week, pretty normal for me.  The wildfires in CA continue, but the Big Sur is now nearly 75% contained, and hopefully the smoke won't be impacting San Luis Obispo (SLO) County.  Big land use decisions before the planning commission, that may take some of my time.  But it's looking like another productive week to get caught up before my mini vacation to SF Marathon.

Went on a great trail run this weekend.  PG&E just opened more of the Point Buchon trail just south of Montana de Oro.  If you park at the ranch house at MDO and run the bluffs to the PGE check in booth you can not add on another 3 miles out on the pristine coastal trail.  Little eerie with electric fences, power lines, a few of the nuclear plant -- but the kicker is the sign at the end of the trail that reads "deadly force will be used to protect this facility" -- you're expecting to see some guy w/ a sword through their chest lining outside the boundary lines.  The things we do for energy!

But a great off-road trail run!  Worth your time if you ever find yourself on the Central Coast.  I'll be running it more often.  

Okay, got to get to work!  Pronto, clean air for all!  aero out. 

With such a strong focus this track season, I'm surprised how challenging it is to get back into the swing of things for cross country.  I think I'm on week three of my base phase, just trying to log the miles and build up to my target mileage of 50/week.  It's easier for me once I have a workout schedule, and especially if I have a group to meet up with for hard workouts. 

I think I'm experiencing my summer doldrums... long lazy days, vacation mode, after work I just want to come home and hang out at the house w/ the family.  Weights, are you kidding.  Yoga, easy enough if I have a class I'm in, but on my own, likely not going to happen.  Kind of like when I was a kid and had the summers off -- that's what my body's telling about training. 

A break is good, actually it is necessary to have a strong XC and track season next year.  And I know when I do get back into the routine, all the miles and workouts will become my place to retreat.  But until then, I keep plotting in the easy runs in hopes of making this week's weekly target of 35 - 40 miles.  Should be no problem, but it's amazing how many excuses come my way.

I did get back in the pool this week for a deep water running workout.  Finally, I think I out of the water for over a month.  And surfing this weekend if the surf isn't too big!  The miles are coming, and if I can meet up this weekend for my runs on Saturday and Sunday I should be able to make my goal.

Marc's been crazy busy with the shop.  We're moving running divas to another location, just across the driveway from where we've been located for the past 8 years.  Very exciting arrangement.  Better layout for the printing studio and office, and the best thing yet -- a front room for the running divas lounge!  Great spot for a showroom for our new items, and a hangout area for local and visiting running divas. 

Stay tuned, I'm planning a great opening party later this summer and hope to add videos to this blog. 

Track City USA did it again -- hosted an event filled T&F Oly Trials that put track back on the everyday mind.  Even the weather in Eugene cooperated -- I don't think it rained once during the competition.

NBC on the other hand, left room for improvement.  From funky, overweight announcers that ask lame questions of all athletes, just seconds after completing their event -- to late night airing that only the crazy fools on vacation can watch (unless the record it of course) -- so much for early runs. 

But the athletes, what incredible performances!  It was very tough not being in Eugene for the 10-day showdown.  We hemmed and hawed, then finally decided with all our travels this year with the marathon expos and track races, we should stay at home and hold off on another road trip.  But it wasn't until last Thursday, when we actually stopped talking about jumping in the car and driving up to Eugene.

Seeing all those people that I either competed against or a few that I trained with -- I wanted to there, track side yelling at the top of my lungs and watching them putting everything on the line to run the race of their life.  Locally we had 10 athletes compete in the Trails.  When you know someone on the line or in a field event, it amplifies the emotional intensity of the sport.

I was so excited to see Kara June in the finals.  Kara and I workout on the track at the same crazy time (6:30 am, Wednesday mornings -- until we got injured). Kara got injured early this year (stress fracture in her foot).  But she was smart about it, took time off, cross trained and timed her peak performance for Eugene! Not too often you can time a comeback (both physically and mentally) for the Oly Trails!

Then there's Jordan Hasay -- don't need to say much about her.  With her success in the 1500 at 16 years old, all the media followed this starlight in Eugene.  But to PR in the semis and then run a great race in the finals is amazing!  I don't even think the 1500 is really her race, just wait until 2012 and watch out ladies, I bet she's pulls a Rupp and is on the team in the 5000.

So bottom line -- Watching the Oly Trials on TV made me even more motivated to get out there and get busy training for the next race.  Cross Country season here we come.

This is the second week of starting up for XC -- still building up my mileage.  Ankle is feeling better, still swells up after a longer race, and definitely put a lot of thought into foot placement when I run off-road.  But at least I'm able to run again!

So for this week, here's the plan...

Mileage target: 30 - 35 (XC season mileage will be at 50 mpw)
Running:  5 days
Core work: Friday on the track
Pool:  one day at lunch / deep water running
Yoga:  Monday
Dog Hikes: four days / 3 mi each

Seems very reasonable.  Pretty normal work week, no travel, no crazy-busy meeting days (yet anyways).  I'll keep you posted.

Hope you all have a great week.  Putting in the miles, enjoying the summer!  Thank for taking the time to read this entry! 

aero out!