Two Days For The Price Of One

Escape From Alcatraz (notice swimmers floating out to sea)

On Friday night around 11pm as I was standing in the elevator staring blankly at the door for 5 minutes before I realized I hadn't hit a button yet...I knew I had had enough! Sixteen hour days are a bit much. I feel so trapped into a job I'm not happy with but, I know I have to be grateful to have a job and absolutely need to make this work. My unhappiness and frustration is being taken as being a "bad attitude"! So unfortunate for me.
Onward and downward on the working front.


Saturday I woke up just beat to shit! Feeling like someone in the middle of the night had quietly walked  in while I was sleeping and given me shock treatments. I spent the morning fighting off a viscous wave of  depression. By ten in the morning a full compliment of dogs in the apartment ( big doggy daycare day), brought me out of myself. We went to the dog park which was a bit sad seeing how their closing the park down for a few months to landscape and build money making concessions to help the city dip into the pockets of the Pacific Heights populace to extract more bounty for their greedy little pockets. It's just gonna mess a lot of people up in regards to their dog care.


Afterwards I arrived home and it was all I could do to not just crash in a funk and nap for the day. I really needed to run. I earlier in the week cramped a calf muscle and it was still quite painful. I also threw out my back again (work related)! Just a really bad week.
Somehow I managed to drag my ass out the door and began my slog. I had earlier planned to do a 20 miler but the last two days of work had drained every last molecule of glycogen out of my legs I decided to do the dirty dozen and take a bike ride on Sunday. I hate breaking my training plans, especially on account of work.
I headed down Bush street towards the Embarcadero and then swept north towards Pier 39, Fishermen's Wharf...Big mistake! So many people and I felt like a football player running back a kickoff. By the time I got to the Golden Gate Bridge my spirits picked up a bit and just decided screw it! 20 miler today! It was my first time running the new trail that descends down to Baker Beach in parallel to the main road. It's a beautiful run that offers a sweeping vista of the Pacific Ocean and the bridge.

Right about as I began the climb up to 27th Ave and the bonk began to creep in. I decided it was time to replenish with some electrolyte and food. I was pretty sure this was going to be a tough run from the beginning  but I needed to tough it out. The SF marathon is only a month away.

I'm reading so many different Ultra Running books right now that it's ridiculous! The common theme seems to be that all these runners suffer but, are able to keep one foot in front of the other. Embrace the pain! So I continue on.
Eventually I made it to the park and the halfway turnaround. 
Ultimately, I did make it back but that last six miles was the worst I've ever felt running or biking. I now know I need a couple of day rest before a long run and have to have my glycogen stores up to spiff and more training.
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This morning I forced myself up early enough to get down to the "Escape From Alcatraz" and I was glad I did. The weather was incredibly warm which made for perfect viewing. This is something that I may try very soon. I'm working on a plan for swim training in the next year. It was a lot of fun to watch especially the swim leg of the race. Some of the inexperienced swimmers were over shooting the beach landing and rapidly heading for the open ocean!

The change up areas were quite a mass of confusion. Everyone looked to be having quite a bit of fun!
It was a great way to spend the morning and afterwards I surveyed some of the vendor booths and certainly was wishing I had a whole lot of cash to drop on some toys.

Soon after I took off on my bike and got a nice active recovery ride along the waterfront down to AT&T Park where people were beginning to line up for a Giants game.
When I got  home I took the pups out for a jaunt and after went out with Cathy for a very LARGE brunch. I was in need of Carbs and Protein big time!
Afterwards we took a very relaxing power nap and woke up to iced coffee and read my Kindle out under the sun.
I rolled out my muscles on the mat and styrofoam rollers and by the time I finished I was really craving my bike again. I rode down to the bridge and back and felt great when I got back.
I've decided I need to make this Job situation work. If I were to leave I would surely be giving up just way too many things that I'm really enjoying right now. Just like that grueling 20 miler I put myself through, I need to just keep one foot in front of the other and tough it out...


BTW Proof to my cycling buddies I haven't forsaken the bike in the name of running...I did get out there today!...Twice!

Bike ride out too the bridge.