I have been trail running a lot recently and feeling great on the longer distance runs and the uphill climbs. Given my very busy work and weekend schedule, my goal is to run a half marathon at least once, preferably twice a month to keep in running shape. Interestingly, I would never have thought I could do this a couple years ago. Now, I can get up and run a half marathon any time of the day. Except when I have a whole in my shoe, no traction left and it's raining on a steep trail :) Unfortunately, confidence can sometimes lead to overconfidence, which is a bad idea on long steep trail runs. Table Rock race, organized by La Sportiva was set in the Mt. Tam region in Marin (north of the Bay Area). The first 3 miles of the Table Rock run wound up ~2000 feet and subsequently descended 2000 feet in 3 miles to near the start line. At this point, the half marathon continued up 1500 elevation game for 3 miles and the final 3-4 miles was the descend down to the finish line. On the first part of the race up 2000 feet, my pace was strong and I was passing several people along the way. On the way down, I passed several runners as well, until two ladies refused to give way to people, undeterred by their own slow pace. I tried to run fast on the downhill and ended up twisting and subsequently spraining my ankle around mile 5. Luckily, the start (and finish) were near the end of mile 6, \xde5so I was able to exit the race to rest my ankle. Here's our course map. We started with the Pink course and then went out to the orange course Take a look here at our brutal elevation map: Even though I wasn't able to finish my race, I had a great time and an awesome exercise! The best part? Justin finished 5th in his age group at the 10K! That's the pink look above :).
Here's Justin looking awesome with his
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I HATE to be writing this post because I love how hidden and quiet this wildlife preserve is! My friend described this area as a "Gem in the Rubble". The Preserve is located on the East Bay side of the Dumbarton bridge and has miles and miles of running, hiking, biking trails. There are usually very few people around here and they're always the friendly sort. Being on the bay, there is usually a cool breeze, but not quite as bad as the one in San Francisco. This area is marshlands, so the smell of salt and sea is very heavy - but I find it refreshing. Throughout the running trails, the views of the bay and the dumbarton bridge are stunning. Several wild rabbits run around the trails, so keep an eye for them. The area is mostly dog friendly and I have brought my pup, Snow, for many runs around here. Here's my usual afternoon run route: Here are some pics of the gorgeous views along the way! Hope you enjoy this hidden gorgeous part of the SF Bay Area!
Our desk jobs and computer savvy lives make it very difficult to go and spend time outside. Even though I workout regularly, I find myself going from my office to gym to home with nearly no time spent outdoors. This got me thinking... A nature lover like me ought to be outside more! Several studies show that spending time outside is highly beneficial for health. So for all you couch potatoes and video game ninjas, try to get your butt out! You will be happier, focus better on work, gain some essential vitamin D (its science!) and enjoy what planet earth has to offer! Its time to unplug and reconnect my friends! Well, spending time outside can be harder in the winter if you live in the northern part of the US. Thankfully, I LOVE to ski! And being in Jackson Hole is the best type of skiing you could possibly do. So for the most part, I will be spending my at least 30 minutes outdoors skiing the badass slopes of Jackson Hole Ski Resort. For the days that I will be working, I will go for a winter run or walk or find some other winter activities to do. Walking and playing with my snow loving dog is also a great way to spend time outdoors! Here is what I did last two days to spend time outside: The first pic is from my 3.6 mile run around my house couple nights back. The second and third from last night walking my dog in super snowy weather in Jackson Hole! What did you do to spend your 30 minutes outside??
Its the best to run outside! There is so much pretty stuff to look at! The second pic above is when Justin and Snow joined me for my 3rd day! What a great team I have :D My ten day running and yoga challenge went great! I ran 3-4 miles every day and did 30 minutes of yoga. It was refreshing and fun to stick to the challenge for all this time. I also substituted 2 of the yoga sessions with 1 hour long (in and out) sauna sessions at the local YMCA gym. This felt wonderful and was very useful in helping me relax my sore running muscles. I had to substitute two outdoor runs with 2 runs on the treadmill as its been super snowy outside! Here are some of the pics from my run and yoga challenge! Above first two pics from my sauna sessions. Saunas are great for relaxing your body and clearing your skin! I rarely use makeup! Third pic is from my treadmill running session! What kind of challenges do you like to do to meet your health goals?
Stay tuned for my new challenge! |
MahimaNuclear Engineer, Product and Strategy expert, Vegetarian, Adventurer. Categories
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December 2019
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