URL for this route is: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2861706
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Easy 5 miler
I cannot believe how easy 5 mile running is now. Ran a easy 5 mile, though still at a place of 12. Don't know how to improve that speed. This will drop down to 4 mile an hour when getting into mile 20 and 6 hr target would be a problem. My leg is bothering me too, so will have to do something about that, its really disheartening.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
An easy 10 mile
This was a easy weekend. I decided to run 10 miles on East Lake Sammamish trail. This was a perfect day for that since most of the trail is in shade. I started off lazily around 7:30. Ran through Marymoor Park and only East Lake Sammamish trail. It a nice gravel trail, I am guessing better for the feet than the hard tar road. 10 mile was quite easy. My right leg and knee has been troubling me though. I probably should put an end to hiking for now, cannot let the knee trouble go into June. The next 2 months are going to be all about running and nothing else.
Monday, May 11, 2009
21 mile weekend
Finally, I crossed the 20 mile barrier and in style with hills! Initially I had decided to drive down to Seward Park in Seattle. From there I could run down and back to Rainier Ave, taking the actual marathon course I ran last weekend, and then run up to Montlake Blvd on Lake Washington Blvd, take the bus and back. Seemed like a reasonable route for first 20 miler. But as it happens, the driving plans fell thru in the morning. It was disappointing, as I was really excited to run that beautiful trail. So I decided, ok, I will take the bus to Montlake and then run down and back to Seward Park. Its about 20 miles with the Madison Ave hill, but that is ok.
So that is what I did. I took the 7:30 545 to go to Seattle. I was on train by 7:50am starting at E Lake Wash Blvd from Montlake bridge. It starts out flat and very soon hits the Arboretum. At that place there is no way to run on Lake Wash Blvd anymore, it has not side walk as it winds down sharply. But there are trails inside Arboretum which I though should just lead me to other side and back on Lake Wash blvd. But within 10 min I was lost in that jungle. There are trails that lead to no where and trails that seem to be going noth whole actually going east. Somehow I ended up on a paved motor road. With no clue as to which direction i should be going to join Lake Wash blvd and also if I join it would there be a way to run on it! So I ask someone walking there, where the hell is LWB! They point me to a direction which looks all wrong! I should be going towards the lake, but this seems to be going away. Maybe I am totally disoriented here. I start the way they tell me and soon its not a flat road anymore, its up and down and down and up (well, not that much, but it seems like that when u r running in doubt). But I keep running and hoping its the right direction and I don't end up at the beginning of LWB again! Then I spot a water fountain and that just helps, at least there is water. I take 2 min rest, refill my bottle. Another 5 min and I see a map. Oh great! bless the soul that bothered to put it there with "You are here" marker. Its clear now that LWB is 500 ft away, what's still not clear is if it has side walk to run on. So I run upto the road, and there is a sidewalk to run on. Awesome.
Now I am at LWB, just couple of miles into my run, its looking nice. Another 10 min of running and I hit Madison Ave. Awesome! Now I know where I am. Cool.
Beyond Madison Ave, LWB starts winding down steeply and there is no sidewalk. So cannot run that way. No problem, I know I can take Madison Ave, and then McGulliver (or sthg like that) and that will take me back to LWB. So I happily head right on Madison Ave. Hmm, there is this huge hill. Oh! the Madison Ave Hill, I know all about it, we used to dread it while training for Seattle half. Still, something is not right. I am suppose to go towards 42nd St and number are decreasing here. So I did the only logical thing I could do, ran up that steep hill to see where is the lake! On top of the hill, I am pretty much dead from the steep uphill run by now, totally demoralized as I am lost in space. I see a waterbody behind me. So that should be the lake. Wait a minute, is that Puget Sound? More confusion! So finally I ask someone on the street, where the hell is that lake! And as feared, I was running in wrong direction, the lake is on the other side, so I climbed that stupid hill for no reason. No worries, its practice and from now on its all downhill. Running back towards LWB, crossing it and heading in right direction this time. And wait, one more hill, so that is the Madison Ave Hil!!!. Anyway, its fine, I know where I am, things are looking good. I am back on Seattle Marathon course and that makes me feel good.
Things are looking familiar now, so I know I am going in right direction. Soon I hit Galer, and all purani yadein aare taza. How we used to run up Galer to practice hills. This time, I am running down it, onto McGuliver blvd. From there is a easy-breezy 8 mile run down to Seward Park. There are minor hills here, but mostly flat along the lake. Running is fun again. As I hit I90, I realize the long way I have come since starting Seattle Marathon 2 years ago. I love the part after I90, its beautiful. Most of the cherry flowers are gone, still there are petals on the road, and shade of trees, its a beautiful sunny day. As I near Seward Park, I am hitting the 11th mile. Things obviously start getting tough now. I feel like turning back, still I want to get there, I have to get there, I have to complete my 20 mile today. So I get there.
At Seward Park I meet Atul. He is also still doing his run. After I stop, talk to him, eat GU, drink water, I have new energy. I am feeling good, a little fatigue, but not much. And well, at this point I only have to run 10 mile back to the bus! I run a little bit into the park as I want to make sure that I am not even 100 meter below 20 mile. I want to run upto 1/2 mile mark to give me that extra buffer, still it seems pointless after a bit and I give up and return.
Run back from Seward Park was uneventful and long. There was one person I overtook and that felt awesome. Once I reached I-90, I had new energy, its not far now another 5 miles max. So I keep running. GU and inertia has kicked in by now and stopping or walking is more painful that running. Back on McGulliver, I feel great. Not far now. I am definitely walking up the hill of Galer to Madison. Now things get fuzzy and dizzy. My legs are really tired and won't let me run anymore. On top of that its hilly, God! send a bus, do something. Nothing happens. There is still the uncertainty of finding my way back from the mess of Arboretum. I see a bench and shade. So I sit down. I am sure I am still at least 4 miles away. So I sit for few minutes, drink some water and then start again. I am at my 17th or 18th mile and things are outright nasty at this point. Even running downhill is a pain. I cannot believe I am doing this, I am still running! Somehow I reach LWB. Ah! bless that sight. There is shade and downhill run. From there Arboretum drive comes really quickly. I have new energy now. I am going to make it! Somehow I cross the road and start running on Arboretum Dr. I refill my bottle on a water fountain and keep running. Soon I find the point where I am suppose to get into the Arboretum, its marked by Japanese Maple sign. I love that sign, I want to hug it and tell it how much it means to me. From here I know that I am trust my direction sense to take me back to LWB, from where I can easily go down to bus stop. And I am right. Once on the trail, it was not hard to find my way out. I was soon running the last 1 mile on LWB headed towards 545 bus stop. It was just awesome! I managed to survive and I knew that at this point if there were 5 more miles to run, I could do it.
So that is what I did. I took the 7:30 545 to go to Seattle. I was on train by 7:50am starting at E Lake Wash Blvd from Montlake bridge. It starts out flat and very soon hits the Arboretum. At that place there is no way to run on Lake Wash Blvd anymore, it has not side walk as it winds down sharply. But there are trails inside Arboretum which I though should just lead me to other side and back on Lake Wash blvd. But within 10 min I was lost in that jungle. There are trails that lead to no where and trails that seem to be going noth whole actually going east. Somehow I ended up on a paved motor road. With no clue as to which direction i should be going to join Lake Wash blvd and also if I join it would there be a way to run on it! So I ask someone walking there, where the hell is LWB! They point me to a direction which looks all wrong! I should be going towards the lake, but this seems to be going away. Maybe I am totally disoriented here. I start the way they tell me and soon its not a flat road anymore, its up and down and down and up (well, not that much, but it seems like that when u r running in doubt). But I keep running and hoping its the right direction and I don't end up at the beginning of LWB again! Then I spot a water fountain and that just helps, at least there is water. I take 2 min rest, refill my bottle. Another 5 min and I see a map. Oh great! bless the soul that bothered to put it there with "You are here" marker. Its clear now that LWB is 500 ft away, what's still not clear is if it has side walk to run on. So I run upto the road, and there is a sidewalk to run on. Awesome.
Now I am at LWB, just couple of miles into my run, its looking nice. Another 10 min of running and I hit Madison Ave. Awesome! Now I know where I am. Cool.
Beyond Madison Ave, LWB starts winding down steeply and there is no sidewalk. So cannot run that way. No problem, I know I can take Madison Ave, and then McGulliver (or sthg like that) and that will take me back to LWB. So I happily head right on Madison Ave. Hmm, there is this huge hill. Oh! the Madison Ave Hill, I know all about it, we used to dread it while training for Seattle half. Still, something is not right. I am suppose to go towards 42nd St and number are decreasing here. So I did the only logical thing I could do, ran up that steep hill to see where is the lake! On top of the hill, I am pretty much dead from the steep uphill run by now, totally demoralized as I am lost in space. I see a waterbody behind me. So that should be the lake. Wait a minute, is that Puget Sound? More confusion! So finally I ask someone on the street, where the hell is that lake! And as feared, I was running in wrong direction, the lake is on the other side, so I climbed that stupid hill for no reason. No worries, its practice and from now on its all downhill. Running back towards LWB, crossing it and heading in right direction this time. And wait, one more hill, so that is the Madison Ave Hil!!!. Anyway, its fine, I know where I am, things are looking good. I am back on Seattle Marathon course and that makes me feel good.
Things are looking familiar now, so I know I am going in right direction. Soon I hit Galer, and all purani yadein aare taza. How we used to run up Galer to practice hills. This time, I am running down it, onto McGuliver blvd. From there is a easy-breezy 8 mile run down to Seward Park. There are minor hills here, but mostly flat along the lake. Running is fun again. As I hit I90, I realize the long way I have come since starting Seattle Marathon 2 years ago. I love the part after I90, its beautiful. Most of the cherry flowers are gone, still there are petals on the road, and shade of trees, its a beautiful sunny day. As I near Seward Park, I am hitting the 11th mile. Things obviously start getting tough now. I feel like turning back, still I want to get there, I have to get there, I have to complete my 20 mile today. So I get there.
At Seward Park I meet Atul. He is also still doing his run. After I stop, talk to him, eat GU, drink water, I have new energy. I am feeling good, a little fatigue, but not much. And well, at this point I only have to run 10 mile back to the bus! I run a little bit into the park as I want to make sure that I am not even 100 meter below 20 mile. I want to run upto 1/2 mile mark to give me that extra buffer, still it seems pointless after a bit and I give up and return.
Run back from Seward Park was uneventful and long. There was one person I overtook and that felt awesome. Once I reached I-90, I had new energy, its not far now another 5 miles max. So I keep running. GU and inertia has kicked in by now and stopping or walking is more painful that running. Back on McGulliver, I feel great. Not far now. I am definitely walking up the hill of Galer to Madison. Now things get fuzzy and dizzy. My legs are really tired and won't let me run anymore. On top of that its hilly, God! send a bus, do something. Nothing happens. There is still the uncertainty of finding my way back from the mess of Arboretum. I see a bench and shade. So I sit down. I am sure I am still at least 4 miles away. So I sit for few minutes, drink some water and then start again. I am at my 17th or 18th mile and things are outright nasty at this point. Even running downhill is a pain. I cannot believe I am doing this, I am still running! Somehow I reach LWB. Ah! bless that sight. There is shade and downhill run. From there Arboretum drive comes really quickly. I have new energy now. I am going to make it! Somehow I cross the road and start running on Arboretum Dr. I refill my bottle on a water fountain and keep running. Soon I find the point where I am suppose to get into the Arboretum, its marked by Japanese Maple sign. I love that sign, I want to hug it and tell it how much it means to me. From here I know that I am trust my direction sense to take me back to LWB, from where I can easily go down to bus stop. And I am right. Once on the trail, it was not hard to find my way out. I was soon running the last 1 mile on LWB headed towards 545 bus stop. It was just awesome! I managed to survive and I knew that at this point if there were 5 more miles to run, I could do it.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
A 20 mile route from Seward park to 520
URL for this route is: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2804461
This is a 20 mile route starting from Seward Park, one way up to Montlake Blvd bridge (to catch 545 back to Redmond). It covers part of Rock'n'Roll (till I90) and part of Seattle marathon (after I90) course and all of it is really beautiful. The best thing is that its one-way!
This is a 20 mile route starting from Seward Park, one way up to Montlake Blvd bridge (to catch 545 back to Redmond). It covers part of Rock'n'Roll (till I90) and part of Seattle marathon (after I90) course and all of it is really beautiful. The best thing is that its one-way!
Monday, May 04, 2009
20 mile on Lake Wash Blvd
URL for this route is: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2790804 + another round of Seward Park.
An out and back path starting from Seward Park. Covers part of Rock'n'Roll course.
An out and back path starting from Seward Park. Covers part of Rock'n'Roll course.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)