I’ve vacationed enough.  It’s time to start training again.  This is going to be painful.  Every time I pick up my training after a long break it is a painful experience, but I am determined to break all my personal best running times in the 5k, 10k, and half-marathon this year.  This year’s biggest challenge is going to be maintaining my training while enjoying good beer and visiting California breweries.

My first race this year is going to be the Race on the Base in Los Alamitos, CA.  Last year I came in around 58 minutes and felt like crap the whole time.  I did not train much before it and was also eating junk leading up to the race.  I am determined to crush my time from last year.  I have not registered for any other races yet.  The big ones I have in mind are the Disney Half-marathon and the Santa Barbara International Marathon (it’s personal this time).

I had a great winter vacation and definitely got my rest and relaxation along with many beers.  Time to dust those running shoes off.  Here goes nothing…

I found out on my last day of work in December that my Christmas/New year vacation was a lot longer than I had planned.  It was a nice surprise and I decided to take full advantage of my 11 days of paid vacation.  My first plan was to drive from San Diego to Vancouver, Canada.  I spoke with my cousin in Seattle and discovered that it was not the best idea to drive up this time of year.  I still wanted to go on a road trip, so I decided to do New Year’s Eve in San Francisco with a small brewery tour on the way up.

I had a cold the whole week I visited these breweries, so my taste buds were a bit out of whack.  I also only had a chance to visit four breweries because of time constraints and a few of them being closed during the holidays.  Despite those conditions I hit the road with a few friends and made the most of it.

Anacapa Brewing Co. – Ventura, CA

Anacapa Brewery is located on Main St in Ventura, where my parents live.  It was my very first stop on my tour.  I had never been there before and was looking forward to visit.  I was not disappointed.  All their beers were great, but I especially enjoyed their brown ale, the “Brown Chicken, Brown Cow”.

Island Brewing Co. – Carpinteria, CA

It was a cold afternoon when we visited Island Brewing in my hometown of Carpinteria, CA.  I had been there a few times before, but I had never tried all their beers.  I love this place.  It’s definitely a locals spot, but their beers are world-class and I enjoyed all of them.  The “Paradise Pale Ale” might be my favorite.  Their blonde is also very tasty.  The only thing better than the beer was the great company and conversation I enjoyed that afternoon.  I made a few new friends and ran into some old ones.

Santa Barbara Brewing Company – Santa Barbara, CA

After our visit to Island, my buddy Julio and I headed up the road to Santa Barbara Brewing Co.  The location is great and I have enjoyed dinner here several times before, but never tried all of their beers.  We ordered the sampler and were surprised with 9 different beers.  It was a bit difficult to take them all down after having dinner (the sliders were delicious, by the way).  I enjoyed all their beers and haven’t picked a favorite yet.

Social Kitchen & Brewery – San Francisco, CA

I had the intention of visiting at least three breweries while I was in San Francisco last week.  It didn’t work out that way.  My friend Alma and I got caught up sight-seeing (both first-time visitors) and we were only able to visit one, which we picked because it was close to our location at the time.  We walked into Social and were impressed visually.  It was very spacious, comfortable, and welcoming.  The sampler was on the house and the bartender was very friendly.  We tried 6 beers and were not impressed by any of them.  I was very disappointed.  We bought a pint of their “L’Enfant Terrible” because it was the only beer we could somewhat tolerate.  We learned the brewery was new and I cut them some slack.  I just hope they get their act together soon because I would love to visit again and actually enjoy a beer.

Beginning my 30th Birthday

First off, no, I did not run a marathon on my 30th Birthday weekend in Santa Barbara as I had planned.  I chickened out for weak logistical reasons and lack of training.  I am not proud of that.  Instead, I did a lot of what you see above.  The last quarter of this year was quite the booze-fest.  More beer than legs, if you will.  I started November with birthday celebrations and kept it going with a trip to New York City where I did some more heavy partying with little sleep.  I did manage to get in a run around central park (about 8 miles total), however.  That was epic and I will write more about it soon.

Now that the year is almost over, I have to start planning my race calendar for next year.  Looking back on 2010 I can’t be too disappointed.  Yes, I did party a lot, but I also participated in many races throughout the year.  The Pier-to-Peak half-marathon was no small feat either.  It would have been nice to wrap the year up with my first full marathon, but you know what?  I’m still alive and I still have my legs.  I will do one eventually.

Another goal for the year is to actually write about beer and breweries.  I have done my share of laps around San Diego beer bars and breweries this year, so why didn’t I write about it?  Laziness.  I can’t lie about that.  Fortunately, I have been working on that and I promise to bring you guys more beer-related articles.  I am looking forward to sharing more of my accomplishments and even my failures on my journey to become a better endurance runner.  Thanks for reading and have a wonderful and safe New Year.  :)

This weekend I participated in the 2010 Malibu Dirt Dash for the first time.  I was looking forward to it because I had never run in a trail race before.  There were three main events: 5k, 10k, and mud run.  My friend V ran the 5k and I did the 10k.  They were started at separate times, which was great because I was able to cheer at the start and finish.  The morning was really cold, but it heated up a lot by noon.  The rest of my summary is on this even’ts “breakdown” below.

Date: 9/25/2010
Race: Malibu Canyon Dirt Dash
Location: Calabasas, CA
Distance: 10k (6.2 Miles)
Finish Time: 58:34
Breakdown: The main start/finish area was well-organized.  Good band playing throughout the races, plenty of drinks and fruit at the main staging area, and a few sponsor booths.  The course was challenging and scenic.  There was not a lot of support on the water stations and one of them ran out of water (I really could have used a splash at that time too).  I also didn’t feel they were placed very strategically.  Lack of volunteers and clear directions caused confusion on the course, which has many turn outs, and the chalk arrows on the ground were stomped out by the time the first group of runners passed through.  The mud runners and 10k runners finished together, so the grouping towards the finish line caused a lot of confusion.  I saw a few mud runners going the wrong way and I also missed a turn.  I think this race would have been completely problem-free if there were more volunteers placed throughout the course.
Lesson Learned: TRAINING IS IMPORTANT!  I already know this!  Why, oh, why do I keep slacking?!!!  I took two weeks off of training before this race after completing the Pier to Peak Half Marathon, so I knew it would be rough.  I was not expecting to be more sore for this 10k than I was after climbing 4,000 feet in a half-marathon.  I’m an idiot.

You have probably seen them before in a race and wondered what they were.  I was a bit curious myself and decided to read a bit more about them and find a pair to try out.  They are called Vibram Five Fingers and are designed “for exercise, play or fun”.  They are rapidly growing in popularity and have also become a bit difficult to acquire if you have a normal-sized foot.  It took me a about an hour to locate a store that had a pair in my size.  After trying them for the first time, I went ahead and purchased a pair (KSO Model).

Initially, I was only going to use them for sailing because I thought they would feel great while moving around on deck and they also have non-marking soles.  I have been wearing them more often than I thought I would and am now contemplating running in them.  Earlier this month I saw a runner complete the Pier to Peak Half-Marathon in a black pair of Vibram Five Fingers.  I think they were also the KSO model.  It blew my mind when I asked him how long he’d been running in them and he said only two months!

In a few weeks I will be running my first full marathon, the Santa Barbara International Marathon.  After that, I will experiment a bit with barefoot running.  In order to prevent any injuries, I will do a lot of research and share it with the readers of this blog.  I am looking forward to it and I will document my journey along the way.

Here is a good article about barefoot training: Barefoot Training Bangkok

Top View

My Vibram Five Finger KSO shoes

Approaching the finish at the 2009 Carlsbad 5000.

As I mentioned on my “Me and my Beer Legs” page, I consider myself to be a newbie to endurance sports.  I have been fairly athletic and physically coordinated my entire life, but I never ran for fun.  I didn’t even know that I was a good runner until it became mandatory for me to run when I enlisted in the Marine Corps eight years ago (I got out in ’08 as a Sergeant).  Since then, I have enjoyed running as a hobby, though not a serious one.

Just under two years ago, I decided that I wanted to participate in endurance running events.  I would often see races on the weekends here in San Diego and they looked like a lot of fun.  I had never don anything like that in my life, but that hasn’t really ever stopped me before, so I signed up.  My first race was in March of 2009.  10 races later, this is my running resume to date:

Date: 3/13/2009
Race: St. Patrick’s Day 10k
Location: San Diego, CA
Distance: 10k (6.2 Miles)
Finish Time: 56:39
Breakdown: Ah, my very first race.  I trained as well as I knew how for it.  It is still my best time.  I felt great.
Lesson: Don’t eat a Cliff Bar before a race and use skin lubricant and appropriate clothing.

Date: 4/5/2009
Race: Carlsbad 5000
Location: Carlsbad, CA
Distance: 5k (3.1 Miles)
Finish Time: 25:19
Breakdown: My worse 5k EVER.  I made the mistake of under-estimating the 3.1 mile distance, which is my most familiar distance since I often ran 3 miles for the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test.  I took the liberty of partying all weekend and capped it off with a McDonald’s breakfast before the race.  I have never felt so horrible while performing any physical activity in my life.  I did everything wrong and I paid for it.  I was an idiot.
Lesson: Do not drink on a race weekend and don’t EVER have McDonald’s before a race.  No Brainer.

Date: 2/27/2010
Race: Los Alamitos Race on The Base
Location: Los Alamitos, CA
Distance: 10k (6.2 Miles)
Finish Time: 58:34
Breakdown: My first race of the year.  I didn’t train as much as I should have and I completely felt it during the run.  It rained all morning and finally stopped just before race time.  The course was full of puddles and it was a bit hard to gauge the distance between miles because of how flat the course was.  The race was very well-organized and the crowd was very enthusiastic and fun.  Next year I will train more for it.
Lesson: It’s hard to train in winter, but it is necessary.

Date: 3/14/2010
Race: St. Patrick’s Day 10k
Location: San Diego, CA
Distance: 10k (6.2 Miles)
Finish Time: 54:43
Breakdown: Here we go again!  By the time this race came around, I was very familiar with this course.  I run in Mission Bay Park and Fiesta Island fairly often.  It is my favorite training location for flat races.  Perhaps because of that I did not train as hard as I should have.  I was hoping to run faster than the year before, but my time was two minutes slower.
Lesson: A familiar route doesn’t make you faster automatically.  Take training a bit more seriously.

Date: 3/21/2010
Race: San Diego Mud Run
Location: San Diego, CA
Distance: 5k (3.1 Miles)
Finish Time: 48:38 (Team Finish)
Breakdown: My first mud run ever.  It was a blast.  A few friends and I dressed up like generic superheroes and stormed the course like animals.  Our finish time was decent, but it was a struggle.  The costumes weren’t exactly designed for the punishment we put them through.  My cape got heavy with mud and started choking me, my mask got muddy and blinded me a few times, and one of my friends wore short-shorts which left her legs and butt vulnerable to many scratches and scrapes.  The course was tough, but manageable.
Lesson: Don’t wear a costume with a cape and mask.  Wear pants or knee protection.

Date: 4/11/2010
Race: Carlsbad 5000
Location: Carlsbad, CA
Distance: 5k (3.1 Miles)
Finish Time: 24:30
Breakdown: This was my second year running the Carlsbad 5k.  I felt pretty good and shaved a minute off of the previous year’s time.  I was hoping to run at least two minutes faster, but I was happy with my time.  Next year’s goal is to finish in the top 250 so I can get a medal.
Lesson: Push yourself harder next year.  You’ll live.

Date: 4/25/2010
Race: La Jolla Half-Marathon
Location: La Jolla, CA
Distance: Half-Marathon (13.1 Miles)
Finish Time: 2:14:02
Breakdown: In my opinion, a half-marathon distance run is the big leagues.  The La Jolla Half was a doozy as well.  Three major hills made this one very difficult.  I felt great throughout the entire run.  I took training seriously and it paid off.  No injuries, a decent time, and a great feeling in the end.
Lesson: Cycling on steep hills really helped the climbs during the race.  My legs felt great on all the hills.

Date: 5/1/2010
Race: Donate Life Run/Walk Challenge
Location: Fullerton, CA
Distance: 5k (3.1 Miles)
Finish Time: 24:55
Breakdown: I ran this 5k one week after running the La Jolla Half-Marathon.  I felt weak the entire run.  I took the week off of training that entire week and I should have approached this differently.  It was a mistake to take on a race that close to another one and a bigger one to not do any training for maintenance.
Lesson: Give yourself over a week before races.

Date: 5/16/2010
Race: Bay Bridge Run/Walk
Location: San Diego, CA
Distance: 4 Miles
Finish Time: 33:11
Breakdown: I enjoyed this run very much.  It was very well-organized and had a great view of San Diego from the Coronado Bay Bridge.  As far as the run itself, I did not feel very well.  It may have been lack of training or bad nutrition.  I should have done more hill training.
Lesson: Take nutrition and hydration more seriously.

Date: 9/5/2010
Race: Pier-to-Peak Half-Marathon
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Distance: Half-Marathon (13.1 Miles)
Finish Time: 3:08:00
Breakdown: I took a long break before this run.  I should not have done so.  This run is billed as “The World’s Toughest Half-Marathon” and features a 4,000 foot climb from Stearn’s Wharf to La Cumbre Peak in Santa Barbara, CA.  It was very tough and it wore me down.  I tried my best to carbo-load, but I should have started two days before instead of the night before.  A race of this magnitude requires a lot more training and attention to nutrition than I was prepared for.  My lack of experience and knowledge with nutrition and physical exertion did me in.  I finished, but my time was not very good.  My legs started cramping up around mile 11 and it was hard to keep a steady pace .  Towards the end of the race I was barely able to walk.  In the end, i was proud of my accomplishment.  I did not have a goal time because I was not even sure if I was going to be able to finish.  Seeing all the other participants giving their all definitely motivated me.  The views were phenomenal and   the feeling at the finish line (well, after I recovered from the exhaustion) is something that just can’t be duplicated.
Lesson: When you take on bigger challenges, it is important to take performance and nutrition education more seriously as well.  The body is a complex machine.