This morning I got up and headed to Long Beach for my long run. Steve, a coach with Sole Runners, invited me to run with his group training for the LB Marathon and Half. 
Steve is one of my ING Class of 2012 teammates. We met in New York while shooting and it turns out he lives outside of LA and has been coaching in Long Beach for 7 years!
He invited me to come out and run with the group a few times recently, but it never worked out. Finally today I was determined to get down there. I actually LOVE LOVE Long Beach. My ex-bf lived there while I was in college and I spent most of my weekend there for years. Then, I moved there for a year a year later (we ran pretty close to my old neighborhood!).
Tangent. 
Okay, back to running…
I called Steve this week because I need help. I hadn’t set a goal for New York, I wasn’t sure if/how I was going to do Long Beach and last year’s LB race really trashed my body and confidence.
Steve teaches Chi Running so we started with some talk about that. He gave me this book to read too…
Today the full marathon group had 2 options – a 4 hour run OR 2:15 today and 2:15 tomorrow. They are already pretty ramped up for LB (which is 4 weeks before NY) so I did the 2:15 today. Steve says new research is showing back to back longish runs benefit your body the same as a long run does, but with less recovery time.
I’m scared and skeptical about this theory at the same time, but I’m giving it a go this weekend.
I feel like I learned A LOT today!
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I ran with Steve and his metronome and realized my steps aren’t quick enough.
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My form up and down hills is terrible.
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I need to get more electrolytes.
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I need to eat more on long runs. <- he says eat every 30-45 minutes from the very start.
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I need to run with a group more! <- I was so happy to feel part of the team, even though I didn’t know these people. Running is hard and people make it feel happier.
The aide stations…
Steve ran with me the entire time and we stopped at 2 aide stations. At the end I was drenched in sweat, had drank a ton of water and was still thirsty.
Every run thing should end with watermelon. 
After the run the group does yoga, but I had to sneak away. Ben had come along to ride his bike in LB and was waiting for me. By the time I got to the car he was pretty hungry so I suggested we go to a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives place I’ve known about for ages.
We went to Schooner or Later!
Here is the Triple D episode with Schooner or Later
I’m so glad I brought a chance of clothes since I was soaked with sweat and we were waiting outside for about 25 minutes.
Coffee and a schooner of beer.
I ordered the veggie omelet with the sour cream on the side (so I could give it to Ben).
It comes with a choice of bread and I chose the blueberry muffin. They make the muffins in house, but I wasn’t in love with it and passed this on to Ben too.
Ben got the mess featured in the episode.
Overall: I would definitely come here again! It is in a gorgeous location and our wait wasn’t too long (I thought it was going to be an hour based on the triple D episode). I would say 85% of people waiting hit up the bar and were drinking mimosas or bloody marys.
Dinner was easy…
Dessert was happy…
I want to say a BIG BIG Thank You to Steve and the Sole Runners for welcoming me into their group today!
I’m hoping to head out there for a few more runs leading up to LB. If you want to train for a January marathon or half (LA Marathon, Pasadena, LA RnR, Tinkerbell) with their group a new training session starts Oct 20. Go to www.SoleRunners.net for info!
That sounds like an awesome way to train. That’s what my LR’s have totally lacked…fun people to talk to:-) And by “fun,” I really mean any;-)
Awww CSULB is my alma mater. Wish I lived a little closer (I’m an hour north-east) because I’d definitely look up the group. Nice spread afterwards!
Yesterday on my long run I thought how nice it would be to not be running alone. I’m a member of the local triathlon club, but they are all crazy fast and run on days/times that don’t fit with my work schedule.
Have you checked Meet Up? I need to check there too for a closer running group that’s maybe around my pace…
Are you running Long Beach full or half?
The long run sounds great! I run with a group once a week, and even though I don’t know many of the people and we all run our own pace, I’d never skip it because I like running with them! Keeps me accountable.
by your pictures, i can tell you were at marina vista park — i play competitive adult kickball there! love that place — especially the cute houses surrounding it!
Yep!
Great to meet you this weekend. Thanks for coming out and running with us. Ill keep an eye on your blog, sounds fun! Good luck!
Monica, It was great having you out with us Saturday. I ran 15.5 miles in the 2:15 on Sunday. My Garmin’s battery was dead so I ran with one of our mentors and re-posted her Garmin data from our Sunday run on FB. Next, let’s set up a ChiRunning lesson. I was really impressed how well you ran Saturday. You have lots of potential and lots of PRs in your future.
I have never run with a group and have only run with a partner like a couple of times. I think it sounds like fun but since I work full time and live 30 miles from town it is so hard to schedule. So, my question, is it fun enough that I should really make a point to find a group and try to make it work or is it not such a huge deal?? PS. I love you and your blog. Fun Shiz. Super motivating and upbeat.
I was praying for a Frozen Yogurt place where I live to finally arrive .. now we have one and I want it to go away, I CAN’T STOP going! It’s sooooo delicious! At least it’s semi healthy …. I guess?
I’ve always wanted to go to a place off that show, I’ll have to see if they did any episodes on places in Edmonton or Calgary, AB
What a fun time running with that group! I love it!!!!!
I did the back to back longish runs when training for m last marathon in may because I just didn’t have the time to do full dedicated long runs. Verdict – it works!
I love my running group!!! I was always a solo runner until about 8 months ago. I have not even used my iPod either! I love the conversation and the sounds of nature.
I’m sitting here with Chi Running on my desk. I started reading it this summer and then got to the part where you have to actually do a little homework (Oh I think that’s about chapter 3ish), put it down and haven’t picked it up again. I really liked what I read of it, but I also really wanted to read 50 shades… and the entire hunger game trilogy this summer. Maybe you will inspire me to get back into it 🙂
I haven’t started the Chi book yet, but HG is a good trilogy!
When I ran my first 1/2 marathon I spent the afternoon and all the next day in bed — my knees hurt so bad it was all I could do to shuffle to the bathroom.
Then I learned ChiRunning, and now I run full and half marathons and go to work the next day.
Such fun to have a famous internet person wander into our lives “in the flesh” yesterday. Come run with us again!
LeAnn, Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I haven’t enjoy a long run like that in forever. I’m going to be crashing your Sole Runners party a lot up to Long Beach – is that okay?
I am so jealous you have a cool group of people to run with with even cooler refreshments. I am also in love with triple D’s.
Just so you know, I ate a whole watermelon today. No guilt, no shame, no apologies. Let’s bond over this sometime ok? PS. You’re one of my favorite people.
LOL. My husband and I totally discussed this and both agreed we could totally shut down a watermelon pretty freakin’ easy. Those suckers are delish. If not in one sitting, in one day for sure.
And Monica: My husband LOVES your video teaching how to cut it up. He’s only tried it twice and admits it’s clearly something you must get better at as you go but seriously it’s pretty fast. Thanks for the tip!
Thank you! I need a fellow watermelon lover in my real life 🙂
this is great Monica. 🙂 happy that you had the oppty. to do this.
nice spread of eats too!! 🙂
I run twice a week with a local Fleet Feet group. I love it! The group gives me energy that I wouldn’t have if I ran on my own. Also, can you do a post on Chi Running? I am interested in finding out more information.
I’ve been waffling back and forth between picking up the Chi Running book or just sticking with what I’ve been doing, but I’ve gotten to the point where my training feels so stale that I’m willing to try anything! Steve’s approach sounds interesting, so maybe I’ll talk myself in to giving it a try…
What does he suggest eating every 30-45 min from the start? I am training for my first marathon on October 7 and had a really rough 16 miler. I adjusted (and starting drinking gatorade on my runs in addition to Cliff Bloks and water) and had a much better 18 miler. I can’t imagine eating much else on the go……
It’s not good to wait until your energy stores are depleted to refuel, so fueling from 30 minutes in for long runs is better. It takes some getting used to, I agree it’s not easy to consume more when you’re belly isn’t used to it! Something I have to work on…
I think this is AWESOME! Running with a group or with friends ALWAYS boosts my confidence in myself and makes me feel more excited about the sport! I bet you will run faster at the race if you keep it up – awesome job! (and I went to my first Triple D restaurant in Ocean Beach the other day, yum)
I think SoleRunners are the group I found in SoCal with a training group for Berlin. Hopefully I’ll run in to some of them there!
Yes! The group is going to Berlin next month!!!
I LOVE how they had watermelon at the refueling stations! It’s like they knew you would be coming to run! Anyways, I have always wanted to try Schooner or Later after seeing it on Triple D, and maybe split the “Mess” with 3 other people 🙂 That thing looks monstrous!
I need to print out the DDD places in Phoenix.
It was all I could do to resist the mint Cold Stone at the ballpark last night.
The Kidless Kronicles
You really hit it on the head with “Running is hard and people make it feel happier.” So true! I think that’s why I love races, talking to other runners about running, and reading running blogs. Anytime I can run a race with a friend, I normally jump at it because it just makes that race so much more enjoyable – even if we don’t hit the finish line time I might prefer!
two shorter long runs in a weekend might be the same physiologically, but I feel like mentally one long run is easier. running with a group is so much fun, it’s the only way I could ever train for another marathon.
What is Chi Running?
An running approach that is supposed to have less impact on your body and help prevent injuries.
I like doing my long runs with a group and depending on how my legs feel, I could go up or down the pace and I’m glad we’ve various pace groups at our group run on weekends.
I’m really curious about chi running– I’ve heard of it before, but haven’t done much investigation. Did you feel a difference in terms of impact and such from the way you normally run?
I’ve never ran a marathon or trained for one but the back to back long run idea is quite interesting. Would love to hear how that pans out.
Great Post! I have been debating between Pose Running and Chi Running. I have been doing the Pose technique for the last 4 months and I like that it does not put too much impact on my knees. How is the Chi technique for you? I might have to try it sometime.
I love running in Long Beach! Especially along Shoreline Drive onto Ocean Blvd and into Belmont Shore.
Cheers!
Ron
What does Chi Running entail? That restaurant looks like it’s in a great location and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is definitely one of my favorite food network shows
That’s really interesting… I’m not a runner, but I’ve never heard of that two-day marathon thing. I’ll be really curious to see how it goes when you do your recap! Yummm. Whatever “the mess” is looks freaking delicious haha.