I'm Not Good at...

I'm not very good at running 5.5 miles on Saturday, then another 12 on Sunday. I'm just really not, but I really wanted to get a good-longish run in this weekend, so when Edith called and suggested it yesterday, who was I to say no?

Not me...

All in all, despite my heavy legs after 6 miles, it was a fine run this morning at Balboa Park. My initial plan was to run the park a couple of times, and a loop that included the 6th Avenue hill a couple of times. That would have made it close to 12 miles.

Here's the map. I'm trying a screen capture shot this time instead of the embedded map from MapMyRun...I'm a little bothered by MapMyRun these days. I used to be able to print up route maps using it...now they want to charge for it. WTF? I mean, aren't they using Google maps to begin with? I'll use Google or Yahoo maps for that from now on I guess...GAH! The screen shot resolution isn't very good, and it might make you dizzy, but we pretty much kept running the same loop around and through the park


Although we had initially planned on doing two loops outside of the park, running down 1st Avenue, and then up 6th Avenue, one trip was all I had any enthusiasm for, so we re-routed around Mile 7, did an extra 1/2 loop around Balboa Drive, and settled for 10 miles.

Here are my stats:
10.02 miles
1:55:20
11:30

I know that Edith ran at least a half mile more than I did (in less time), because she kept running back and forth in front of me so that she wouldn't get too far ahead. She is a speedy girl. She's hoping to break 2 hours in SF. I know she can do it...

Edith and Elsie - clearly this shot was taken before the run...observe the level of energy.

Other highlights and comments on the morning run include:

• Pre-run - As we started running, we had to stop and give two guys directions to Admiral Baker Park. Quite frankly, they weren't even close....and neither were we (Edith almost sent them to Point Loma). Luckily (for them) I had the iPhone, so I mapped it and had Edith give them proper directions. My favorite part was Edith asking the two guys who were wearing jeans and flannel shirts if they were going to a wedding...
  

We were in Balboa Park (Point A). They were trying to get to Admiral Baker Park (Point B). About 7 miles away.

• Mile 1 - We decided that the run would be more entertaining if, in keeping with the Lake Boy Part theme, we looked for all the phallic symbols in Balboa Park. Elsie was the first to discover this.

Edith, posing with Elsie's discovery.

• Miles 2-3 - This was our run through the park. It was another beautiful, sunny, crisp fall morning. There's not much exciting to report. Elsie decided after one loop through the park to continue running in the park...apparently she was not as enamored of 6th Avenue as Edith and I were...smart chica! Edith and I head down Laurel to first street.

• Mile 4 - A BIG DOG ATTACKS ME! I'm not much of a dog person. This is probably because I've never been around dogs. I have allergies to just about everything that lives or grows, so we never had pets when I was a kid. We don't have them now. Truth is, I just stay away from them...they make me sneeze and more than a little uneasy. It works best this way (Yes I know that MANY of you have dogs and run with your dogs and love them as if they are your children. I get this...I just prefer to stay away them...call me a big ninny. I can deal with it...). Anyway, I get just a little wigged out when dogs are around, even those that are on leashes. As we were running down Fourth Avenue, one of my reasons for being nervous around dogs came true when some guy, walking his BIG DOG, let the animal have a little too much leash and the dog lunges for my leg. Truth is, that the dog was probably trying to sniff me, or lick my yummy-saltiness, but a BIG DOG, with jaws open, lunging toward my thigh is just enough to make me "YELP" at the top of my lungs...
  

• Mile 5 - Edith gets her turn to scream in terror as we're running up 6th Avenue. Edith who is (of course) ahead of me, suddenly turns around and starts motioning like a flight attendant that I should move to my left as we are running over the freeway. I think "Is there something on the freeway I should see? (I look down and see nothing other than the usual traffic) When I catch up with her (or more likely, she runs back to me...). She asks, didn't you notice the transient guy sleeping in the back of that car? His arm was hanging out the window. I didn't see it, until I almost ran into it!" This is the first time I tell Edith that I'm really not paying attention to anything around me at this point. Pretty much only involved with my own aches and pains...

• Mile 6 - Time for more Gu - which gives me gas... It's a good thing that Edith is running ahead of me...come to think of it, earlier in the morning, Elsie was running behind me...maybe this is why she decided to run alone...hmmmm...
  

• Mile 7 - Edith and I wisely decide to NOT do one more loop toward downtown and up 6th Avenue again.

• Mile 8 - I think Edith is trying to take my mind off my running as she keeps asking me if I am noticing different things as we make our third loop through the park (In truth, the Camp Fire Scouts camp sign that says "Adventure is Lurking in the Park," IS sorta creepy. Someone should re-think that marketing campaign)... Edith keeps asking me: "Didja notice...? Didja notice...?" Seriously...at this point, I notice nothing other than how much my ass hurts, how often my quad screams at me, how intensely my left calf is twinging. I've now run 13 miles in two days... In my mind, it's pretty much all about me right now. I'm not noticing much else. I think Edith gets tired of running back to get me, so for the last mile I see...

• Miles 9-10 Edith's backside

See that tiny speck of blue in the center of the shot... Yeah...that was my view of Edith's backside. BTW, the askew perspective is due to the weirdness of the iPhone camera...although to be honest, my perspective at that moment was not much different.

So...that was it. Almost 16 miles in two days. Really looking forward to Nike, to our trip to SF, and to taking a little break from the long runs, and just doing some 5Ks and 10Ks for a little bit.

Have a great weekend everyone...and congrats to everyone who had races this weekend!