11 miles - June 13 (Sat)

This Saturday is the 11-mile (17.88K) run starting at Baker Beach towards the Presidio, along the Richmond District, back to Baker Beach. The terrain is a bit hilly, but not too bad. Last week, the Cliff House hill was steep, but okay. The challenge was the trails along Land's End that was difficult to maneuver. Overall, the 10-mile was a good run. Of course, afterwards, my whole body was sore and achy but it's ready for the 11-mile!!

I have started to personalize a few must-have items and must-do before my runs. Some of those are the following:

- the blueberry & pomegranate flavored chomps (GU) are best. The coffee flavored kind almost made me vomit and contains too much caffeine.
- bobbi brown SPF 15 face protection lotion is better than any other sunblock protection, in my opinion. It really works!
- sunblock should be applied around the ear lobes as well, since the sun's rays hit that part of the face more than any other parts of the body. There have been cases of melanoma (skin cancer) near and around the ear lobe area since that is the most neglected part of the head.
- when sipping the water bottles during a run, it's important to let the water run down the snout before squeezing the bottle. Otherwise, it's easy to sip air bubbles into the body creating discomfort during running.
- a BREAKFAST is a must! What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. Nutrition is a highly individualized regimen of running. I found that a cup of hot oatmeal (fresh from Quaker Oats, not the package kind) and a cup of green broccoli work best for me. I don't know why but it does. Milk actually makes me produce gas!!
- a warm shower in the morning helps ease and relax the muscles and any tension the body holds.
- ponytails are troublesome. For long-distance running, a bun works best. And, no hats, because my head needs to breathe and no sunglasses to avoid tan lines.
- The last mile is all about mental power, where the mind takes over the body. Legs become cotton candy, and the breathing becomes heavier. Mental power borrowed from the track workouts (tempo runs) are what sustains me during the last tough mile and through the finish line.
- Mental power is equally important as physical power in my book.

That's all my take on running. It may sound meticulous and detailed but at the end, they work for me. And, anyone who's ever done long-distance running will find that with preparation, you can stop worrying about the finish line, and enjoy the run! Cheers to running! Below is our map for Saturday. Kick butt time! ;-) Thanks for reading!