Saturday Recovery Run @ PSOAS (3-6 miles)-06/18/16

Saturday's recovery run launches at PSOAS Massage/Bodywork at 333 3rd Street between Folsom/Harrison.

If you need to use the restroom, change, and/or store some personal items, head up to PSOAS in Suite 205.

Here's a link to the course map-

Saturday's Run Course Map.

Here is a brief description of the course:

We will cross Folsom from 3rd Street onto the sidewalk and take a right. We will run along Folsom all the way to the Embarcadero. We will cross the street and take a left onto the Embarcadero.

Run along the Embarcadero past the Ferry Building. Look for the street sign for ‘GREEN’. This is a hair over 1.5 miles. Beginner runners turn around here and head back for 3 miles!

Continue running along the Embarcadero. Look for the Hillstone Restaurant on the LEFT side of the Embarcadero at Embarcadero/Bay. This is 2 miles. Intermediate runners turn around here and head back for 4 miles!

Continue running along the Embarcadero until it turns into ‘Jefferson’. Run along Jefferson to the intersection of Jefferson/Powell. Look for the CVS drugstore on the left. This is 2.5 miles. Advanced runners turn around here and head back for 5 miles!

Run through Fisherman’s Wharf right to the edge of Aquatic Park. Once you reach the cul-de-sac at the edge of Fisherman’s Wharf/Aquatic Park, you’ve logged 3 miles. Race level runners turn around and head back to PSOAS for 6 MILES!

I run because of the small things....

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I have a mound of unread emails. Countless text messages pile up. The list of to do's is daunting.
 
I should address all of them. All of them are high priority. Running is the last thing I should be doing.
 
But, I lace up the shoes and go. I create space between everything and me. None of the aforementioned can follow me.
 
Thoughts of the undone items rattle around. I pick up the pace. My labored breathing silences them.
 
A brilliant blue sky surrounds me. The blindingly white clouds awe. The sun shines brightly radiating heat.
 
I am not saving lives. No one is going to die if I delay responding to my texts. No lives will be lost if the to do list doesn't shrink.
 
Surely, there are more emails accumulating in my inbox. Undoubtedly, a voicemail has arrived. I press on uphill.
 
The sweat pours out of me. Accompanying it are the worries, doubts, and fears. The voices chiding me for leaving it all behind are faint.
 
Rome wasn't built in a day nor was it lost in a day. What I have built will still be there when I return. I will be as well.
 
I crest the hill and am blessed with a view that nearly brings me to tears. I am so small. The universe is so huge.
 
I am reminded how little I am in the grand scheme of things. It is a welcome humbling. I run on.
 
It's not the size of the dog, but the size of the fight in the dog. As small as I might be, I've got plenty of fight in me. I snarl and carry on.
 
Stay the course. Relax and focus. This too shall pass.
 
My go to mantras never fail. My breathing calms. My strides even.
 
I won't be overwhelmed. The small things won’t fell me. All of the things that got me out here are small.
 
The road stretches on and the small things become smaller. The things I sweat aren't even real. They aren't tangible.
 
They may slow me down. But, they can't stop me. I won't let them.
 
I won't allow them to keep up. I surge again asking my legs to turn faster. They comply.
 
I put a gap on them. Small and frail, they wheeze and gasp behind me. They are fading.
 
I smile to myself as I shift up one more gear. I really put the hurt on them. I obliterate any hope they have of catching me.
 
They might be done, but I'm not. I still have a few miles to go. I want to relish this one.
 
My stride relaxes. My mind quiets. The flow washes over me.
 
I lose myself. The road rolls by unnoticed. No effort is expended. The day is mine.
 
The large things loom ahead. But, they are few. They might fell me, but not today.
 
Today, I move forward. Today, I put the small things behind me.

Saturday Long Run (04/09/16, 8-12 miles).

We'll get things rolling with an easy 1/4 mile (approx) warmup run to Jordan Ave.  

We'll segue into some range of motion drills and then continue with our run towards Golden Gate Park!

 
Here's a link to the course map....
 
Saturday ARM Long Run Course Map

Here's a description of said course...

-Launch from A Runner's Mind. Turn LEFT on Cherry across California Street and continue onto Jordan Ave. Look for chalk arrows/markings.
-Continue on Jordan Ave. to Geary. Take a 'slight' left and run across Geary on Stanyan St.
-Follow Stanyan to the intersection of JFK/Stanyan (big, controlled intersection with stoplights)
-Turn RIGHT on JFK and continue running into Golden Gate Park. This is just under 1.5 miles into the run. 
-Continue running through Golden Gate Park until you run under the overpass and reach the intersection of JFK/Transverse. This is a controlled intersection (four way stop). This is 3 miles. Continue running along JFK to JFK/Transverse. Move over to the LEFT side of JFK. 
-1/2 a mile later you will reach the intersection of JFK/Chain of Lakes Drive East. This is FOUR miles. Beginner runners will turn around here and head back to A Runner's Mind for 8 MILES!
-Everyone else will run through this intersection and continue on the left side of JFK until you reach a T-intersection.
-Run through the pedestrian crosswalk and turn RIGHT to continue on JFK (you will be on the dirt path on the LEFT of JFK) until you reach the parking lot area for the BEACH CHALET SOCCER FIELDS ON YOUR LEFT. There is a sign here for your visual cue. Look for a 'RC 9' in chalk. This is 4.5 miles. Intermediate level runners will turn around here and head back to A Runner's Mind for 9 MILES!
-All other runners will continue on JFK towards the Great Highway. Turn LEFT on the Great Highway until you reach the Beach Chalet. Advanced level runners will turn around here and head back to A Runner's Mind for TEN MILES!
-Race level runners will continue along the Great Highway.
-Race level runners will continue running along the Great Highway until you reach the intersection of Great Highway and Lawton. Look for a 'RC12' and turn around and head back to A Runner's Mind for TWELVE MILES!