Final Summer Run in SD

Time: 56:29
Distance: 7.51 miles
Pace: 7:31
Map

This morning's run was the last in San Diego for at least a couple of months. It was an "Oompa Loompa Loop" according to Meagan because we ran up Upas. That bastard of a hill doesn't get any easier. Take the hill at McAlpine and multiply it in grade by 4 and length by 3 and you have Upas. The real focus for the morning was getting packed and off to the airport in time to make our respective flights.

Unfortunately, Meagan and I weren't on the same flights. Meagan was flying on miles and I had booked a flight with multi-cities. For whatever reason, we couldn't link up for the trip back to the Queen City. I had a stop in Atlanta while Meagan had stops in LA, DC and eventually CLT.

Double Run to Trader Joe's

Time: 29:44
Distance: 3.82 miles
Pace: 7:47
Map

Somehow I got suckered into cooking dinner tonight which means I was also responsible for shopping for ingredients. Meagan wanted some extra miles this evening so we took a quick spin through Balboa Park before ending the run at Trader Joe's. A quick pass through all the aisles and we were out with a couple of bags of groceries. We made the quick walk home through Hillcrest and I got started on dinner. I made a take on The Flying Biscuit's "Pasta, Sausage and Eggs" which I've done once in the past. Good run, decent meal.

Balboa Park Pre-Race

Time: 65:37
Distance: 9.22 miles

W/u: 23:20 for 3.01 miles
W/o: 2 x 5 mins, 2 x 3 mins, 2 x 1 min (all with 3 mins rest)
C/d: 9:58 for 1.27 miles

This morning Meagan wanted to do a workout while she was in the ideal temps of San Diego. I didn't feel in the mood so I opted to help her out. We are both gearing up for the Dilworth 4 Miler this weekend. I will probably do something later in the week to get ready for the pace, today was just not the day.

I came up with a simple pre-race workout that is similar to 2 x mile, 2 x 800m, 2 x 300m all with 3 min. jogging rest. We selected to use a combination of the roads and grass fields available in Balboa Park. The workout was fine but nothing to write home about.

Splits:
5:01 @ 5:32 pace (3:01 @ 8:01 pace)
5:01 @ 5:34 (3:01 @ 8:33)
3:00 @ 6:01 (3:00 @ 8:11)
3:01 @ 5:32 (3:02 @ 8:32)
62 @ 5:11 (2:01 @ 9:30)
62 @ 4:59 for 32:19 total and 4.94 miles; 6:33 average.

I could tell that Meagan was working harder than she should be. The first 3 min interval was run slightly uphill and after the two longer opening efforts, she was pretty gassed. Her form looked good and despite the labored breathing, I tried to press the pace a little. This definitely wasn't her best workout and based on look, I'm sure she didn't feel all that well. We took an easy cool down home and called it a morning.

We were in a bit of a rush because of the need to get to breakfast. Last night we told my dad that breakfast would be consumed at 10 am. If we said a specific time, then that means my dad will hold us to it. During my time at Brown it was always, "early is on time, on time is late, and late is early for tomorrow." So true in the Kinley household. We rushed to get out of the door at 9:50 so that we could be arriving at the steps of Hash House at 10 am for breakfast.

Breakfast didn't disappoint. Check out Meagan's blog for some pictures of our meal. Note that the plates were actually serving platters so proportions may not actually seem that big. They were!

Later in the family went to Coronado Island for a couple of hours. The main attraction was the Hotel Del Coronado which is a must see when visiting San Diego. We took a quick tour of the beach and dipped our toes in the Pacific Ocean. Not warm.

Easy Balboa Double

Time: 32:42
Distance: 4.30 miles
Pace: 7:37

Meagan and I put in some easy miles through Balboa Park this evening. Nothing too much to report about the run other than simple time on the feet. For whatever reason the Garmin program didn't read the workout.

Balboa Park Miles

Time: 54:59
Distance: 7.59 miles
Pace: 7:14
Map

Meagan and I put in an few miles this morning through Balboa Park in San Diego. It is a run that we've done a few times in the past. When we go to the far side of the park where the velodrome is located, I was surprised to see that someone was actually rounding it. He was going really slow and we were in a time crunch for some reason that I can't remember which is why we couldn't stick around to watch. I didn't feel great for whatever reason, probably because I thrashed my legs running hard on the downhills yesterday during the long run. If Meagan was ever going to beat me up Oompa Loompa, today was the day. She didn't and now she never will.

San Diego Harbor and Balboa Park

Time: 64:57
Distance: 9.27 miles
Pace: 7:00
Map

Last night I flew from SFO to SAN which means I'll be getting in some more run in So Cal. San Diego is a pretty solid training venue mainly because of the weather. It's generally foggy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon and the temps are ideal. Meagan and I replicated a run from a few months ago this morning. We ran down to near the airport, ran along the harbor, up through the Gaslamp District and into Balboa Park. It was a fun run and cool to take in San Diego with Meagan. We don't have any big plans other than meeting up with the legendary Mike Rouse of Mizuno, Zoot and now K-Swiss fame.

Balboa Park Finale

Time: 61:17
Distance: 8.61 miles
Pace: 7:07
Map

The last run in San Diego for quite some time. I couldn't have asked for better weather and would have run skins had I not needed to pick up a rental car at the end of the run. Meagan and I ran what she's dubbed the "Oompa Loompa Loop" because it runs up a healthy hill on Upas and that kinda sounds like an orange slave from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I finished the run near the airport which wasn't nearly as far away as I thought or hoped. I considered doubling in the afternoon, but opted to eat instead.

Balboa Park Double

Time: 42:56
Distance: 6.01 miles
Pace: 7:08
Map

I headed out this afternoon for a few more miles around Balboa Park. Meagan and I lounged around the park this afternoon taking in some sun and reading our books. I'm halfway through Omnivore's Dilemma and Meagan is on her ninth book of the trip. Remember, books don't help in board game skills. Last night she jumped out to an early lead in Trivial Pursuit, capturing a couple of pies within the first few rolls. I patiently caught and gained a one pie advantage by the time we decided to stop playing. We kept getting questions that only our parents would know. The worst category of the Genus Edition 1955 (I'm not sure what year it is from, but it's outdated) is Entertainment. Let's see if you can get these:

What was the nickname of black dancer Bill Robinson?
What actress was the top box-office draw during WWII?
What couple lived at 148 Bonnie Meadow Road, New Rochelle, NY?
Whose legs were featured on TV's Richard Diamond?
Who portrayed the doomed schoolteacher in The Birds?

The run was fine. I did two loops around the park.

Exploration Run

Time: 59:58
Distance: 8.18 miles
Pace: 7:20
Map

I decided to switch things up this morning and head down to the San Diego Harbor. I have only driven by the airport a few times and noticed there is a bike path/jogging path that runs along the harbor. I thought it would be nice to run somewhere other than Balboa Park.

Meagan and I wound our way through the neighborhoods and ended up by the water. Our run took us along a cluster of boats and past various piers. Eventually we ended up by a pirate ship, a couple of cruise ships and a battleship. Man your stations. It was a nice change of scenery on an absolutely perfect morning. Great weather for the run as I ran skins.

I continued exploring the waterfront and around 4.5 miles it was time to start thinking about running home. After getting around the convention center and past the Padres stadium we entered the Gaslamp District. It was a little stop-and-go with the traffic lights, but soon we were in the familiar surroundings of Balboa Park. A quick pass through the park brought us back to the condo.

Double Duty

Time: 40:34
Distance: 6.02 miles
Pace: 6:44
Map

I ran the same loop as this morning. The action in Balboa Park picked up considerably from this morning. The park was bustling with dog walkers, joggers, volleyball players, bike riders and homeless people. I kept to myself and put the miles in partially on the grass and some on the roads. It's good to start the year off healthy and fit.

A New Year

Time: 45:27
Distance: 6.08 miles
Pace: 7:28
Map

Last night Meagan and I had a grandiose plan of running through Balboa Park at midnight. We thought it might be a lucky way to ring in the New Year. However, considering the facts that Meagan was sound asleep at 11:15 and had a good workout in the morning, I thought it be wise to scrap the run. Since the run was going to be our NYE celebration, we didn't end up doing anything exciting. At least this morning we didn't wake up with a hangover.

The run through Balboa Park this morning was just delightful. Actually, Meagan was feeling and looking terrible. There weren't nearly as many resolute runners out and about as I thought. Maybe they hit the streets later in the day. The run for me went well as it was easy time on the feet.

Ditto

Time: 31:54
Distance: ~4.5 miles

Another run through Balboa Park this evening. Nothing too interesting to report. Very similar to last night's run.

Balboa Park

Time: 58:23
Distance: 8.01 miles
Pace: 7:17
Map

Meagan and I were out the door this morning and off to Balboa Park. We did a loop similar to yesterday's except we didn't focus on the Footlocker course quite as much. The route did take us back up Upas St. which is definitely a hill of legendary status. It's no Lombard Street, but for San Diego it works.

There is talk about doing a mini workout tomorrow at a local high school track. My dad has returned to Palm Springs with the car which means getting to the beach is unlikely to happen. Fortunately, the Hillcrest area of San Diego provides us with basically everything we need.

Minutes on the Feet

Time: 30:18
Distance: ~4 miles

I put in a few miles around Balboa Park this evening. I had forgotten at how low the airplanes fly overhead as they approach the San Diego airport. It's so low that if you had a tennis racquet and ball, I bet you could serve one up to the pilot. That's completely hypothetical of course as I wouldn't want to create a Sully Sullenberger experience on the west coast.

I felt miserable this run because for lunch Meagan and I met one of her friends from TCU. Amy, a cop in Chula Vista, knew of a good Mexican restaurant right around the corner from my dad's place. Ortega's had a great carnitas dish that I devoured along with a healthy dose of chips. I was still full four hours later when I was out on the roads. My iron stomach was cracking a bit under the pressure.

Oh, one last snipe at Meagan. Remember all those books she has read this vacation? Well they haven't increased her trivia skills one bit. I dominated her in a came of Trivial Pursuit (Genus Edition). I filled out my little pie holder while she managed to get one piece in hers. Meagan threatened to walk out a couple of times during the competition, but I promised her a quick execution if she retook her seat. Either Meagan is just looking at the words and turning pages, or she's "reading" the wrong books.

Dr. Ryan Graddy

Time: 66:54
Distance: 8.96 miles
Pace: 7:28
Map

The future Dr. Ryan Graddy met Meagan and me over at my dad's place in Hillcrest. He might claim to be terribly out of shape but not too long ago he ran a killer marathon in Philadelphia. I never gave him the proper congratulations on the blog, so it's only fitting to do it now. Graddy finished Philly in 2:32:35 which earned him 17th place overall. It looks like after going through the half in 1:18:11 he started hammering the pace to finish with a second half of 1:14:24. That's a huge negative split and a great effort for his first marathon.

Former Brown runners have now run some pretty solid times at the marathon distance. I don't want to do all the research, but off the top of my head:
Jeff Gaudette - 2:22:02 (Chicago)
Nick Neely - 2:24:xx (Austin)
Pat Tarpy - 2:20:xx (NYC)
Ryan Graddy - 2:32:35 (Philly)
Owen Washburn - 2:36:02 (Austin)
Mike DeCoste - 2:34:39 (Eugene)
Me - 2:27:19 (OKC)

This morning the three of us ran through Balboa Park and found the Footlocker course. Ryan grew up in the area and has raced on the course several times during high school. Meagan and I could never find the exact location or the route on previous visits. It was nice to finally put that mission to rest. Dr. Graddy flies out early tomorrow morning and, unfortunately, we won't be able to run again. It was great to catch up during the run while we had the chance.

Running in Balboa Park

Time: 55:05
Distance: 8.28 miles
Pace: 6:39
Map

My dad, Meagan and I arrived in San Diego right around noon. We immediately made a stop at Einstein Bros for lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon doing our individual tasks. I worked on setting up store appointments, my dad bought a tv and Meagan was probably reading. That bookworm has finished nearly half a dozen books since she's arrived in California. No book is safe from her nerdy mission of becoming the smartest person in the world. She's perhaps the female equivalent of A.J. Jacobs who once read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z. However, he writes books about it and gets paid. He's also a Brown graduate which means he's already one level above Meagan in terms of intelligence. Though, you can't knock Meagan for trying.

Before the sun went down I was able to get out the door with the braniac in toe. We took a spin through Balboa Park and then I finished up solo. The run was good and I'll be interested to see if we can find the Footlocker course tomorrow with Graddy.

Final Balboa Park Run

Time: 60:54
Distance: 8.01 miles
Pace: 7:36

View of the San Diego hills from the airport. It's kinda hard to ignore the ramp for gate 32, but try hard to focus on the hills.

This was an easy run done in Balboa Park with Meagan on our last day in California. Both of us fly back to our respective apartments for some time. I like running in Balboa Park, and I hate to say this, but it is kinda boring. I'm not too impressed with the trails on the far side of the park across from the zoo and the upper section along Sixth St isn't big enough. I love the weather and seeing lots of people outside playing football, frisbee, soccer and walking/jogging, but from a true running perspective the park lacks quite a bit. This final run was nice and easy and my body doesn't feel too sore from yesterday's 23 mile effort. I probably won't be able to again today so I guess this week is starting off with an easy 8 miler.

Balbo Park Domination

Time: 153:55
Distance: 23.00 miles
Pace: 6:41
Splits: 7:58, 7:20, 7:39, 7:07, 7:14, 7:13, 7:39, 7:25, 7:33, 7:50, 7:30, 7:09 (dropped Meagan off at the house), 5:56, 5:52, 5:59, 5:43, 5:52, 5:46, 5:31, 6:14, 5:20, 5:37, 6:27

This morning was a long one. I wasn't too concerned with the distance, but I wanted to be out the door for roughly the amount of time I would be running during the marathon in February. Meagan and I took a leisurely stroll from the house to Balboa Park and ran a few miles on the upper section. Next we ventured in toward the zoo and across to the other side of the park where we attempted and failed to find the Footlocker Nationals course for the 8th time. Meagan was trying to run in the neighborhood of 15 miles but woke up feeling crappy and decided to cut things short about 8 miles into the effort today. I tried to keep things easy as we ran back to the house and when I dropped her off I was ready to start increasing the pace.

The split times on the upper section when I ran back to Balboa Park came easily and I didn't start pressing until I ran back to the opposite side of the park. Along Florida is where I dropped a 5:30 and then slowed to 6:14 on the uphill/switchback section. I made one last pass around the upper grassy section and threw down a 5:20 feeling confident and then backed off to 5:37 before calling it a day at jogging back home. I took one Gu around 60 minutes and ran the entire run without taking water. It was probably not the smartest thing to do but it all worked out in the end. I was happy to put in over 2 hours and 30 minutes of running today and it is quite possibly my longest run ever. I know I can run hard for over 2 hours and 20 minutes, I just hope it's not too much more than that in February.

A Little R&D (Run & Drills)

Time: 31:46
Distance: 4.01 miles
Pace: 7:55

This afternoon Meagan and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire and when we arrived to the theater the line was draping around the corner and down the stairs. Meagan and I got lucky because I looked up and saw that my dad and Roger were already in line to see The Reader. Pops was even kind enough to purchase the tickets to our flick. The movie was great and I would recommend it to anyone. Afterward, we went back to the house, put on our costumes and were out the door for a short run. We jogged over to Balboa Park and did a few loops on the upper grassy sections along 6th Ave. My legs were feeling good and at 3 miles we stopped, stretched and did some drills including the one that made both of our calves entirely sore. A quick jog back to the apartment gave us just enough time to clean up and head out to Kous Kous along 4th Ave.

The Moroccan restaurant served up some great dishes including a appetizer sampler that had spinach, roasted tomatoes and peppers, caramelized carrots and egg plant. The pita bread was delicious and I even tried the Stone Pale Ale one more time. (An anonymous poster called me arrogant, potentially Scotty D, for not liking the beer on the first go around). This time it was out of a bottle and I enjoyed the brew fully. I also sampled a Red Trolley Ale which I also though was pretty tasty.

Later in the evening Meagan and I met up with her friend from TCU who is known as either (a) "The Hot Cop" because she is hot and is a cop or (b) "Dirty Pirate Hooker" because I probably don't want to know. We patronized the Princess Pub which was full of San Diego Chargers fans who were celebrating the OT win over the Colts.

Balboa Park Farewell

Time: 89:47
Distance: 11.76 miles
Pace: 7:38

Meagan and I ran to Balboa Park one last time this morning to explore. She was aiming to get in 12 miles and I thought that I would tag along and just continue the trend. We ran along 6th and jumped into the park heading down to see the Haunted Trail which was locked up. After a loop up top we crossed Hwy 163 over the Prado pass and ran down the trails looking for somewhere new to go. I thought I had seen on a map that the trails continue near downtown but across from Park Rd./Ave./St. but all we could find were short steep trails that went nowhere.

Footlocker XC Course

The run took us near the golf course, velodrome and an xc course near the Morley Field Sports Complex which is also where the Footlocker Championships take place but I don't know the course. The only map I could find of the course is terrible so that doesn't help much. However, I did find a video that shows some familiar areas like the dog park and "the trail heading past the tennis courts."

Partial Video of Footlocker Course. (I recognize very little).

Overall the run was good. The legs felt fine and weren't too sore. My hip continues to do well. Parts of the run were really slow as we were running up steep trails on hillsides, but at least we got to run down.