The Green Girl's Saturday Morning Queen Mary Run

Sole Runners heading out for a Saturday morning run

Last Saturday, the Green Girl joined the Sole Runners at Marina Vista Park for another long run.

My right hamstring was still sore from last week's run so I opted to do this run sans metronome.

The morning warmed quickly and I found myself drinking more sports drink and water than usual.

Sole Runners at the The Queen Mary

For the first time, I ran all the way to Queen Mary and I finally got to partake in the Sole Runners tradition of 'touching the Queen'.

On the way back, I stopped at a convenience store to get something cold and sweet to drink. I also slowed down and walked quite a bit with another Sole Runner, Felicia.

I managed to do 14.17 miles in 3:12.

The Green Girl with Jill from Run With Jill at Yogurtland

In the evening, I met up with Jill from Run With Jill and her son, Brandon.

They were in town to hike Mount Whitney.

After having Pinkberry with Jill in Denver last month, I was looking forward to introducing her to my favorite self-serve frozen yogurt place, Yogurtland.

Keroppi loves Plain Tart (just like the Green Girl!)

Jill and I had a great time catching up and talking about everything and anything.

I'm disappointed I won't be able to make it to Meg from Meg Runs!'s upcoming blogger get together but I have a coworker's wedding to attend up in Camarillo this weekend.

Sole Runners Active Recovery Run

Coach Steve talking to the Sole Runners

The Green Girl joined the Sole Runners for a Saturday morning active recovery run yesterday.

Coach Steve builds active recovery weeks with lower intensity and volume into our training schedule to give our bodies a chance to repair and refresh.

Coach Steve leading the ChiRunning body looseners

For my active recovery week, I cut back on my workouts and didn't double up every day. I also made a conscious effort to stretch as much as possible.

After the usual announcements, Coach Steve went through the ChiRunning body looseners.

The order of the body looseners are from the ground up so we always start with the ankle looseners.

Sole Runners heading out for an active recovery run

Before the Sole Runners head out, we always get into our ChiRunning stance by lengthening our posture, leveling our pelvic floor, and then leaning until we fall into a run.

Since it was an active recovery week, we all ran for an hour before we did our post-run yoga.

Following the run, I attended Coach Steve's Advanced ChiRunning Training for Mentors class. The session was extremely helpful and we learned a number of advanced ChiRunning techniques.

When I was first introduced to ChiRunning, I was unable to incorporate the concepts into my running form.

I wasn't until I signed up for a two hour private ChiRunning Workshop with a ChiRunning Certified Instructor, Coach Steve, that it all came together for me.

I can honestly say attending Coach Steve's workshop transformed my entire Running Green Girl life. It inspired me to join the Sole Runners and ChiRunning has significantly reduced my injuries and recovery time.

I would recommend his Southern California ChiRunning Workshops and Retreats without hesitation to anyone who is interested in learning proper form and techniques.

The Sole Runners Colored Band System

Sole Runners technical shirts

The Green Girl helped distribute Sole Runners technical shirts at the registration table at Marina Vista Park this morning.

I also received a second blue mentor shirt.

As I was registering one of the new members, she asked me how long I'd been with the Sole Runners and I surprised myself when I realized I'd been training with the group since 2008.

LeAnn going over the Sole Runners banding system: green - half marathoners, yellow - full marathoners

After Coach Steve's announcements, LeAnn explained the Sole Runners banding system.

Colored bands were distributed for participants to attach to their hydration belts.

Green indicates you are training for a half marathon and yellow means a full.

Sole Runners doing body looseners

The mentors also verified emergency contact information had been provided for each Sole Runner before they received their training band.

Coach Steve led the ChiRunning body looseners before we all headed out.

By the time we started running, the morning had warmed slightly but thanks to the marine layer, it was still comfortable and not too hot.

Coach Steve leading the Sole Runners

I ended up running with a new Sole Runner, Veronica.

She mentioned she had never run far enough to reach the beach so it became our goal to get her to the ocean on this run.

I was so proud of her when she not only made it to the beach but also managed a negative split on the way back.

Mentor George leading the Sole Runners in Hillbilly Yoga

Post-run, Mentor George led the Hillbilly Yoga.

I love that Hillbilly Yoga not only has unique pose names but is flexible enough to allow the names to evolve.

More than one Hillbilly Yoga pose has been renamed based on a suggestion from a Sole Runner.

Under Armour Rain. Sleet. Snow. Wind. Brave the run. shirt

On my way home from the run, I stopped by Sports Authority to look at capris.

I spotted the Under Armour Rain. Sleet. Snow. Wind. Brave the run. shirt I'd been admiring on other runners at races.

It was on the sale rack so on impulse, I made the second running shirt purchase of my life.

Now, in addition to my Run Run Run shirt, I have this awesome new shirt!

Sole Runners Saturday Morning Marina Vista Run

Sole Runners Summer Season registration

The Green Girl helped with the Sole Runners Summer Season registration at Marina Vista Park before the Saturday morning run.

With summer training already in progress, I was pleasantly surprised by the volume of new registrations.

Sole Runners doing body looseners

Since it's still early in the season, Coach Steve welcomed all the new and returning Sole Runners.

Coach Steve proceeded with some running basics and then he went over the ChiRunning body looseners that we do before every run.

New Runner's High owner speaking to the Sole Runners

The new owner of our local running store, Runner's High, also spoke to us briefly.

He let us know Runner's High is now matching competitor prices and the store has extended their return policy so if a shoe doesn't work for you, you can return it regardless of when you purchased it - within reason.

Sole Runners heading out for the Saturday morning run

The marine layer clouded the sky as the Sole Runners headed out for our run.

I started off running with a couple, Brian and Stacey, and their friend Rose Ann.

After awhile, Rose Ann and Stacey fell back, and Brian and I went ahead.

As we ran, Brian explained how he and Stacey had started running.

Mentor Matt leading the post-run yoga

I'm always fascinated by personal running stories.

We ended up doing 8.55 miles. It was one of those comfortable runs where you take it easy but you feel satisfied at the end.

When we returned to Marina Vista Park, Mentor Matt led the post-run yoga.

It felt really good to stretch out on my yoga mat.

The Green Girl's Rockin' The Beach 'Duathlon'

Sole Runner Mentor, Barb, with her Rockin' The Beach Half Marathon Finishers Medal

The Green Girl paced a fellow Sole Runner, Barb, and her faithful four-legged companion, Sassy, this morning at the Rockin' The Beach Half Marathon.

The course went past Marina Vista Park and then looped back around Colorado Lagoon.

It was the perfect morning for a race. The air was cool and crisp and there was an occasional breeze.

Colorado Lagoon

Both Barb and Sassy completed a half marathon last week and they have two more races planned in the next couple of weeks. She wants to quality for Half Fanatics status.

I started off running but then I brought Lexa out for a ride.

I had gotten Lexa adjusted yesterday and I could really feel the difference. The seat was lowered so I could more easily step onto the saddle. The handlebars were also rotated slightly forward and it was much easier for me to rest my hands on the grips.

Lexa at Marina Vista Park

I felt like running again so I left Lexa behind and did another loop with Barb.

Each time I alternated, I had to switch Mr. Green Garmin's Sport Mode and I wondered if there was an easier way to toggle between modes.

The Green Girl forgot to take her helmet off for the running leg

As I was running, I realized I'd forgotten to take off my helmet and weight gloves.

I noticed a few people go by and then do a double take when they saw me running with a helmet.

I finished off the half marathon on the bike and Barb got her second medal in a week.

Sole Runners Second Pre-Season Training Session

Along with the other Sole Runners mentors, the Green Girl helped with the Sole Runners Pre-Season registration again this morning at Marina Vista Park.

Since this is the pre-season and we are welcoming new members, Coach Steve spent a significant amount of time going over the basics.

As he was describing the ideal foot strike, he mentioned a video that was shot at 300fps and uploaded to YouTube of the elite women at the Boston Marathon last week.



Coach Steve suggested we use Sharon Cherop and Caroline Kilel as reference for what our feet should look like when we are ChiRunning. He explained their toes were down, they had a midfoot strike and a high heel kick.

In contrast, Desireé Davila had her toes up, a heel strike, and was almost leaning backwards but she also had a very smooth upper body with little vertical oscillation.

Before we started our run, the mentors in our blue Sole Runners shirts lined up in front to help lead the body looseners.

It warmed up a bit but there was still an occasional breeze that cooled us off on our run through the picturesque neighborhood of Naples. The bridges over the canals created some gentle rolling hills along the running route.

Sole Runners First Pre-Season Training Session

Along with the other Sole Runners mentors, the Green Girl helped out with the Sole Runners Pre-Season registration this morning.

I enjoyed welcoming the new members and seeing familiar faces return. A lot of the runners take the winter session off and then return each summer.

The $160 Sole Runners registration includes a 3-week pre-season, a 21-week professionally coached training program, multiple one hour group ChiRunning lessons, mentor-led weekday runs, a Sole Runners technical training shirt, a copy of the ChiRunning book by Danny Dreyer, weekly training articles, and sponsor discounts. There is also a discount for early birds and alumni.

Coach Steve opened with an overview of the program. He also shared some basic running tips and tricks.

Before he began the ChiRunning lesson, he explained the philosophy behind Danny Dryer's method.

After the introduction, he led everyone out onto the grassy field.

He started off with the ChiRunning pose. People were paired up with partners and the mentors walked around to assist.

Once everyone was relatively comfortable with the concept of the pose, Coach Steve had everyone do an exercise where they leaned forward while their partner supported their weight.

He demonstrated how this 'lean' would allow gravity to pull them forward once their partner moved out of the way.

Towards the end of the lesson, Coach Steve showed them how to incorporate everything they had learned into a slow, controlled run.

Following the ChiRunning lesson, we all went out for a short half hour run in the warm late morning sun.

Sole Runners Drizzling Saturday Morning Run

The Green Girl joined the Sole Runners for a Saturday morning run at Marina Vista Park.

After a deluge of overnight rain, the precipitation had dwindled down.

The Marina water level had increased and the surface was almost even with the top of the rocky shore.

Coach Steve and I briefly chatted about the RRCA Certification before the group headed out for our run.

As the run progressed, the clouds vaporized and the sun warmed the morning air.

It was a surprisingly resplendent morning for a run.

Sole Runners Run and Monthly Social Brunch

The Green Girl joined the Sole Runners for a run this morning at Marina Vista Park.

After all Sole Runner announcements, Coach Steve congratulated all the Buffalo Run runners on completing a challenging race. The course starts at sea level, climbs to a 1600 foot elevation, and then returns to sea level.

I had on a brand new pair of my favorite running shoes, New Balance 1012's. The first run in an unworn pair of shoes is always exciting.

As we headed out for our run, the marine layer dampened the crisp morning air. The cool morning satisfied my penchant for colder temperatures.

I was thrilled to see Mags from Run Happy. We chatted as we ran together.

She had just done the Disney World Half Marathon so she gave me some pointers for the Disney Princess Half Marathon next month.

After the run, we did some Hillbilly Yoga let by Mentor George.

As one might imagine, Hillbilly Yoga poses may look familiar but the terminology is very different from what most of us are accustomed to. For example, one of my favorite poses, Shavasana, is referred to as 'Possum Pose' in Hillbilly Yoga.

Sole Runners Monthly Social Brunch at Hof's Hut by LeAnn

After some Downward Facing Hound Dog and Possum Pose, we all headed to Hof's Hut for the Sole Runners Monthly Social Brunch.

It was a really good time with some filling food and great conversation.

The Green Girl's Sole Runners Saturday Morning Run

The Green Girl was really looking forward to joining the Sole Runners today after missing all of last month's Saturday morning runs.

I arrived at Marina Vista Park as Coach Steve was going over the Sole Runner updates.

Before we started doing our body looseners, Coach Steve called another Sole Runner, Brandon, and me up in front to announce to the group that we had become sponsored athletes.

Brandon is a member of Team Marathon and I am, of course, a member of Team Jamba Juice. The Sole Runners cheered for us and Brandon declared he had Marathon Bars for everyone. I let them know although I didn't have any Jamba Juices for them, I did have $1 off coupons.

We set off on our usual route through Alamitos Bay towards Naples.

I took it really easy today because I've been sick all week and I want to be as healthy as possible for the All-Star Charity 5k tomorrow morning.

Marine Stadium was filled with Hawaiian-themed booths for the Kahakai Outrigger Canoe Club's 2010 Kahakai Sprints.

Clubs and individuals in various classes from throughout California and the western U.S. were competing in six-person, two-person and individual outrigger canoes, on a 500-meter straightaway course.

Outriggers are a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull.

We stopped to watch some of the individuals and one of the girls flipped her outrigger and ended up in the water.

As I was doing the post-run yoga, one of the mentors brought over my Sole Runners embroidered jacket and hoodies.

Our coach gives us the option to bring our own clothing and we can get the Sole Runners logo added to just about anything for only $5. I'm so glad I now have some warmer clothing options featuring our group logo.

The Green Girl's Sole Runners Saturday

The Green Girl was looking forward to a Sole Runners Saturday after spending last weekend up in the city.

I relished the crisp morning air as I arrived at Marina Vista Park.

Coach Steve always starts the morning off with Sole Runner announcements and updates.

It was exciting to see a number of new faces among the familiar ones.

Today, Coach Steve led group in an hour-long ChiRunning workshop. He started off by giving a little background information on Danny Dreyer, the creator of ChiRunning.

He explained the importance of the ChiRunning 'C' shape as he guided everyone through the steps to achieve the pose. Coach Steve told us the 'Chi' in ChiRunning relates to the flow of T'ai Chi.

The lesson was followed by the ChiRunning body looseners. ChiRunning emphasizes loosening your joints before a run instead of stretching muscles.

I'm actually one of those runners who needs to stretch religiously both before and after my runs so I always get my stretching in during the pre-run announcements.

It was just starting to warm up when we got started with our run.

This was my fifth run in new shoes and I am pleased to say I am extremely happy with them. As much as I had yearned for a shoe with a less supportive sole, I love how the motion control keeps my feet so stable and straight.

The temperature started getting to me and my heart rate went up to 180 so I stopped and walked the last half mile.

After our run, we did our usual post-run yoga.

I had a downward dog epiphany today when I discovered I have been angling my wrists incorrectly. One of the mentors, Matt, showed me how to straighten my arm to reduce the angle presented at my wrists. This changed my entire downward dog experience.

When I got home, I decided it was time my hat and some of my running shirts got a good OxiClean soak. I do this occasionally when I notice my technical clothing retaining odors.

I'll leave them in there overnight and throw them in the wash tomorrow.