Brick Workout with Family and a Long Run

The workouts this weekend helped me to feel ready for the upcoming year of events. Stacy, Gabe, (my sis- and bro- in laws) and I did a swim/run brick workout at the Shadow Cliffs Regional Park yesterday, in Pleasanton, CA as a rehearsal for the 22nd Annual Tri For Fun happening there on August 15th (my first of 30 events over the next year!).

The brick helped me to visualize and acclimate to the open water swim (my least favorite part of triathlons), and it was a lot of fun to exercise with the family. Shadow Cliffs seems like a great training ground for more triathlons in the future.

Today's workout marked the second-longest distance I've run continuously: 12.8 miles! The highlights: listening to a couple of Santana albums, feeling in the zone on several occasions during the run, a high-five with another runner at the lake doing multiple laps, shouting "Go Hawks" and experiencing a knowing look of University of Iowa pride from a runner wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes t-shirt, and checking off another great run in preparation for the Portland Marathon in October.

Here's how the schedule of events is shaping up so far. I don't yet have 30 events on the calendar. Send me ideas for more events and sign up for some with me.

Year 30 Events:

Event Date Time Type of Event Fees Location of Event Distance Reg? 22nd Annual Tri For Fun 8/15/2009 7:00 a.m. Triathlon $59.96 Shadow Cliffs Regional Park; 2500 Stanley Boulevard; Pleasanton, CA 400 yard swim / 11 mile bike / 3.1 mile run yes . Time Is On Your Side 10K 8/23/2009 9:00 a.m. Run $8 Lake Merritt, Sailboat House, 568 Bellevue Ave.; Oakland, CA 10K no . Windmill 10K 8/30/2009 9:00 a.m. Run $5 Golden Gate Park; San Francisco, CA 10K no . Redwood Park Trail Run 9/5/2009 8:30 a.m. Run $35 Redwood Regional Park; Oakland, CA 20K no . Lazarex Cancer Foundation Hope in Motion Half Marathon 9/13/2009 8:00 a.m. Run $50 Lake Merritt; Oakland, CA Half Marathon no . 2009 East Bay Start! Heart Walk 9/20/2009 Walk $0 Danville Livery and Mercantile; Danville, CA yes . Portland Marathon 10/4/2009 7:00 a.m. Run $100 Downtown Portland, OR 26.2 miles yes . East Bay Front Runners Pride Run & Walk 10/10/2009 9:00 a.m. Run $20 Lakeside Park, Lake Merritt, Downtown Oakland 10K no . Rocky Ridge Trail Half Marathon 10/24/2009 8:30 a.m. Run $49 Las Trampas Regional Park; San Ramon, CA Half Marathon no . US Half Marathon 11/1/2009 7:00 a.m. Run $60 Aquatic Park & Muni Pier; San Francisco, CA 13.1 miles no . Mermaid San Francisco Run 11/14/2009 8:00 a.m. Run $50 Crissy Field - East Beach; San Francisco, CA 10K no