15 Min Run (Push)

LOS FELIZ -- Ran like a bastard on the speed loop around Marshall and had some pretty impressive stretches in there. The bike rides have paid off, I think. There's a better ability to flush lactic from the muscle and recover both after and during the anaerobic fits.

Then went for a big hike with Gaines and the dog.

90 Min Bike (light) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Watched a good portion of "Into the Wild" on the bike. That's painful on the tush.

37 Min Run (Run) --160--

LOS FELIZ -- This was a great run. Yesterday perhaps paid off in the form as I was able to "bounce" up the hills from the very start. Getting the feet to land good and flat without pushing off seems to really be the key to getting the form right...at least at the moment. Great pace, great form.

At the bottom of Hillhurst, I felt a subtle urge to go nuts up the Commonwealth hill finish. The last half mile was faster than I've ever run it...no doubt. Probably at least 20 seconds faster. Not sure what happened, but it was awesome. Full focus, total confidence and what a feeling of form. Great.

38 Min Run (Light) --162--

LOS FELIZ -- To be honest, I don't remember much of this run. It was in the morning before I went to Long Beach. It just kind of melted away with a nice, easy pace. I should really be doing this pace much more often to get the form in super shape and take the toll off the body.

But like I said, I don't remember much.

60 Min Bike (Run) --163.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Another Top Chef, another bike in the living room. For 2009, I think I'm going to put the stats on a monthly basis...monthly minutes and monthly average weight. Much easier to compile.

50 Min Run (Run)

LAS VEGAS -- Another dismal run up and down the Strip. It actually turned out OK, but that is the worst place to run. Lotsa big buildins, tho.

60 Min Run (Push) --159--

LOS FELIZ -- Went up into my first serious Griffith Park run. Up Commonwealth, around on some road and eventually to the "upper signal path" or something like that. Took a bit of a wrong turn and wound up in absolutely beautiful views...nearly 270 degrees of unblocked LA view from Redondo maybe to Burbank.

Put at least 1000 of gain in. Maybe more. Was pretty high up there for a while. Downhill is a beach. Ugh. Should learn a better way of doing that. Finished back up the Blvd and home. Pretty fun. Likely in the 5 mile range.

37 Min Run (Run) --161--

LOS FELIZ -- Did the usual loop in reverse (first time ever?) and enjoyed the kind-of-change-of-pace. It's a bit hillier up front and ends on flat, but basically it's the same. It hits me how hilly that thing is going in reverse. It's not huge hills, but it's just rolling the whole time. I always considered it kind of generally flat.

Good. Getting back to working more on form than any speed as the fitness appears to be coming back.

38 Min Run (Run) --162.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Added a touch on to the hills route and explored up into Griffith Park a tad. Looks like there would be some decent hill running in the trails up there. Will give it a shot next time.

Getting a little spent on the usual course again, which happens. My left knee also seems to be slightly worked over, which is making me focus more on the form and keeping the impact as much as possible into the hip. A great run overall. It will be nice to finally crack open the trails up there as it seems I'm finally a strong enough runner to do it. Careful with the knee, tho. Job 1.

60 Min Bike (Run)

LOS FELIZ -- Biked it out to Top Chef on iTunes. Buzz.

60 Mins Bike (run)

LOS FELIZ -- Got the bike out for maybe the second time since the move. Watched a doc called "God Forgot Us" or something. Good stuff. About the Lost Boys of Africa. Put in a good pedal and was done with it.

I'm starting to be wary of doing only running for this long. I need to cross train more. The running is taking a slight toll in that parts of me are very fit, parts of me aren't fit at all. The bike will help a bit. Plus it will help ease into longer endurance runs instead of shocking the system by jumping in on the pavement.

This was a surprsingly good workout. I'm very tentative about actually riding the bike around here, tho. It's rough terrain, the roads are terrible and the drivers are a-holes. The bike path is great, but it requires crossing some pretty busy streets. Ahh.

37 Min Run (Run) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Got a full loop in before the lunch meeting. Great stuff. Nice and crisp day, sunny and beautiful. Good pace. Bit of a push here and there. Solid daily.

40 Min Run (Run)

Santa Barbara, Calif. -- Another morning dash here at the wedding. Beautiful wedding, amazing church up in the hills along the coast. Amazing views. A fine cigar. Handmade tortillas. Great.

Instead of fooling around with the ocean, I went the opposite way up into the foothills of the mountains, winding my way with guesswork higher and higher until I ended up in a lemon grove. Pretty awesome. Saw a great view of the whole region with the ocean sparkling on a picture perfect morning with just the right amount of chill in the air. Those houses up there really do a fine job of blocking the best views, I will note. Great stuff all in all. Running rules.

45 Min Run (Run)

Santa Barbara, Calif. -- Here for a wedding, got out in the Goleta area for some fun. Went out and was able to find a hidden kind of pedestrian path across the 101 and went over to the airport while trying to find the U. But I made a bad guess at turn and ended up on some stupid road to nowhere. But still, it was a run of a decent length.

This run, technically, makes me complete after missing a run due to hangover nearly three years back. This is my first return trip to the scene since. Doubtful that that run would have been this unscenic, but this was an important few miles to reclaim.

25 Min Run (Push) --163--

LOS FELIZ -- Did a quick little speedwork/fartlek deal around the hood in the AM after the late night goings-on on NYE. Good times. This is definitely the most tired I've been and been able to turn out a run.