Golden Gate Park Fartlek

Time: 57:14
Distance: 9 mi.

Target: 4 x 3:00 with 2:00 rest
Workout: ran the whole thing, focusing on trying to feel out "faster than 8k pace"


Golden Gate Park

Knowing that the running for the rest of the week will likely be very light, I decided that despite the soreness and tightness in my hamstring, it would be worth it to get in some sort of harder effort at "race pace" or faster. I ran 4 x 3:00 with 2:00 easy and felt okay throughout. In fact, my legs felt very good on the cooldown, and I think that getting things going a bit harder was a good call.

The Embarcadero

Time: 63:00
Distance: 9.5 mi.

Morning run down Market Street to The Embarcadero and back. The whole run was a lot of tourist and shopper dodging, which I have avoided most of the trip, but it was fun to see this part of San Francisco and run down by the water. I got to a small beach, touched the water, and headed back. My hamstring was still tight throughout the run, as it has been the last few weeks when running in the morning. Funny to think I'll be on the other side of that ocean in just a few days...

Running keeps my head on right.

Tour de San Francisco

Time: 82:00
Distance: 12 mi.


Palace of Fine Arts, located between the Marina and Presidio

Ran up to Ian's, down to the Marina, across towards the Golden Gate Bridge, up through the Presidio (past some road race), back over a few other hills. Fun run, nice to catch up with Ian, but a bit of a pain in the ass... literally... with all the hills. By the afternoon my right hamstring and left IT band were sore.

Golden Gate Polo Field Tempo

Time: 74:00
Distance: 11.5 mi.

Target: 4.5 miles (6 laps of the polo fields) a bit over 5:00 pace
Workout: 3 miles (4 laps of the polo fields) in 15:49 (5:17 pace)

Ran in the evening, and it was not a great workout. I warmed up 4 miles to the polo fields in Golden Gate Park which have a dirt track around it that appears to be very close to 3/4 of a mile. I was going to try to run 6 laps (4.5 miles), but I only made it 4 (3 miles) before my hamstring and stomach acted up enough to make me call it. It was slow from the get-go, reflecting the conditions (ground was soft and it was very windy on the long stretch) and my condition, as well as a bit of a guess of the true distance.

On my way out I did help a guy on Fell St. heading out whose car ran out of gas about 100m from the gas station.

Golden Gate Park

Time: 69:00
Distance: 10 mi.

It was a beautiful morning in San Francisco: a sunny 65 degrees with a light breeze. I ran out to Golden Gate Park, which is a great place to run. It is more diverse than many urban parks, as there are a number of different garden areas, a polo field, other sports fields, museums, statues, and monuments. I ran once around the polo field to determine how big the loop around was (probably 3/4 mi.) and found some trails here and there connecting different areas of the park. It was fun to just wander and still not even see a large area of it.

My hamstring is very, very tight. I was hoping it would warm up throughout the run, but instead it seemed to get more sore. I was running very easily, but still was feeling like I was adjusting my stride to adjust for and compensate for its tightness. The focus of the next few weeks will undoubtedly have to be to stay healthy more than to gain fitness.