The Year Of...

At the end of the year I tend to drive myself crazy and think about what I did or did not accomplish over the year. For once I feel really good about what I have done this year! I am not a one to set a "New Year's Resolution" mostly because I can never stick to all the things I set out to do (eat better, drink less, cross train more, build a bigger nest egg).

One thing that I can follow thru with is my training schedule. Right now I am focused on planning out my race schedule for next year. I have a few ideas on the docket but I am not sure where this years road will lead me. I have thought about adding trail running.
Here is what last years schedule panned out to be:

March 12, 2011: Saint Patrick's 5K (1/5 of the Grand Prix)
May 7, 2011: Take 5 in the Garden (2/5 of the Grand Prix)
May 23, 2011: 100th Bay to Breakers in San Fransisco
June 18, 2011: Sailin' Shoes 5K (3/5 of the Grand Prix)
July 16, 2011: Alex Hoag Run for Sunshine 5K (came in 7th for my age group)
July 23, 2011: Classic 10K (4/5 of the Grand Prix)
August 13, 2011: Starlight 5k at the AFA
October 1, 2011: Great Pumpkin 5k run (5/5 of the Grand Prix)
October 9, 2011: Denver Rock and Roll Marathon
December 3, 2011: Rock Canyon Half Marathon

Last year turned out to be busier than I thought it would be. I had only planned to do the Grand Prix and the Bay to Breakers, but the "bug" bit me and I kept going. This next year I have planned just a few races:
Grand Prix of Running (Short Series May-October)
Sprint Triathlon (April 2012)
Bolder Boulder 10K (May 28, 2012)
Georgetown to Idaho Springs (August 11, 2012)

I know that I want to do another Marathon in there somewhere. Denver sounds good to do again, but then there is the Xterra Marathon, which would get me trail running, but again no to thrilled about it. I would love to do the Colorado Marathon, but $250 for an entry fee is a little steep! There is the Big Sur Half Marathon which I could stay at my parents so I would just have to pay for a flight. But as you can see I already have a bit on my plate, and I should see what falls on it next.

What are your race goals/schedule for 2012?

Do you like to make "New Year's Resolutions"?

Miracles Do Happen Every Now & Then

I generally don't blog much about my Mom and her condition.  Mostly because I don't want to give incorrect information and also, if I write it, that means it is real.  However, today is an exception.

I have been hesitant to write this blog and have been sitting on it since early October.  I thought about how to write this and believe in what I am saying.  Perhaps this will help me believe that this is real, and miracles can happen.  We have been given so many bad answers, when something is good happens, it is hard to believe that it is real.

But first the history.....


May 2010
Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Esophageal Cancer (EC) and would have to undergo triple round chemo for six months. This means she would be taking chemo pills two times a day and every few weeks she would get a chemo transfusion. The oncologist advised the family that Mom would get very sick, very fast.....and she did.



December 2010
I made the trip back to California for Christmas, because I didn't know where this roller coaster was going to take us. If I didn't and something happened to her I would never be able to forgive myself for not making the time to be with her. When our plan landed in SJO I was so nervous I though that I would throw up!  I had not seen her since May and not knowing what she would look like scared me. I would not let her see that I was scared or worried. I felt that I needed  to be strong for her. She had been strong for our family at the hard times and we needed to be strong for her.  She had just finished her six months of Chemo and had gotten the news that even with all they had done, she was still not a candidate for surgery and every three months they would monitor her tumor(s) with Positron Emission Tomography Scans (P.E.T.). 

March 2011
Three month check up went well.  The P.E.T. scan showed that the tumor(s) had not spread, grown or shrunk.  She was still not a candidate and that things were still just "statis quo".  Mom was regaining her strength and had returned to work. She works at an Elementary School with children that have special needs.

June 2011
With the one year mark behind us, things started to return to normal. Mom was getting stronger and with summer on the way things started to look brighter.  In May, I flew out to San Jose, to celebrate her birthday with diner at her favorite restaurant in San Fransisco. To commemorate her one year mark, I ran the Bay to Breakers in her honor.

October 2011

I had just gotten news two days before my Marathon that her third three month check up brought back new results.  The P.E.T. scan showed the tumor(s) were not prevalent. This means that when she was injected intravenously with contrast, the tumor(s) would "glow".  In her case, there were no masses glowing on her scan. So a few weeks later she was scheduled for an endoscope . The endoscope results showed that her esophagus was inflamed and that there are a few lesions.  She needed to go on medication for a few weeks to help her esophagus become uninflamed and then the endoscope would be repeated.

December 2011

Six weeks passed and the endoscope was repeated.  Her results showed that there was no cancer.  Yes you read that right, there is NO cancer! However results show that Barrett's Disease is present.  This is not a life of death disease, but this does mean that she will need to be aware of what she eats as not to inflame her esophagus.  At this time, she will continue to get P.E.T scans every three to four months and endoscope's biannually.

My opening for this blog reads:

If you have cancer, if someone you love has it, even if you are a grunt like me-it's a long march. It's not going to be over in a day. During the toughest miles, you find out you're all alone, but at the same time, you feel incredibly connected. You learn that you're capable of doing things you never could have imagined. Running makes you try, in it's way, cancer makes you try too.

Running makes you try, makes you fight thru the pain, teaches you not to give up, pushes your body to its limits, but most of all it makes me feel connected to Mom.  She is half of me and when I run I can feel her pumping thru my veins, so I feel like she is with me.  Mom and I reached our destinations that we set out to do.  Her's to kick Cancers Ass and mine, to finish the Marathon. It was not easy and it was hard, sometimes you feel alone and lost, but somewhere deep down inside of you, "it" finds you.  "It" gives you strength when you have none, gives you courage when you are scared, and when you need it most, "it" is there. We all have it, but only when you are pushed to your limits is when you will find it. It's then you realize that you have done something that you never thought you could do.

Rock Canyon Half Marathon

KOAA News forecast predicted Saturday's run to be cold. The high for Pueblo, CO was 26 and at 9am it was only 20 degrees with winds at 17mph which made it feel like 13 degrees! Talk about cold! 

This race was a very low key run so there was no chip timing, but what do you expect when the entry was only $35 bucks.  I didn't hear a got star so I think it was just a 1-2-3 off you go start.  everyone started off slow since the pavement was quite icy!  Kim and I started out of the gate a little faster than we normally do so we lost valuable energy.  Also, with the ice, you are using different muscles and watching where you are stepping.

Here is a map of the route:

We did two laps around the city park and then headed out to the trail.  The first right turn into the
trail was a paved downhill.  It was very steep! This run is an out and back trail run with gradual rolling hills. There are a few open areas where the wind came ripping thru and made it feel like my face was going to fall off!

I finished with a time of 2:51:00 give or take a few.  I am waiting for the vendor to post the finishers photo's so I will add them later.

Here are a few photos that we got from the race:

Kim and I at Mile 2.5 as you can see we are having alot of fun. Seeing other crazy people out there fighting the cold made it more motivating to run.

Kim and I after the finish! We had just gotten out medals, so it's time to wear them proud!

                                                                                                                        

Grand Prix of Running Awards Ceremony

Runners gathered downtown Thursday, December 1st at Jack Quinn's for the annual Grand Prix of Running awards ceremony.

Overall winners and age-group leaders were honored at Jack Quinn's.

 I was excited to go and see all the other runners and see the series all the way to the end.  I hadn't decided if I was going to do it again, but after sitting there it felt good to a member of a select group of people, I changed my mind.

I finished 6th overall  in the short series for my age group with a total time of 3:33:34.  Here I am with the announcer on the left and the owner of Jack Quinn's on the right.  I must say I am looking slimmer in each photo!

I have a base line to start with. Next year I will push it harder and hopefully place better.  There are three other ladies that will bump age groups with me so I will be running with them again.

I am excited to say that Kim will be joining me this next year.  I am planning to do the short series again, which starts in March!

P.M.S

I ran the Denver Rock and Roll Marathon in October. I was sore for three days and had a runners "high" for a about a week. 

Now............ I feel lost

I hit "the wall" about mile 18 and I didn't run nearly as well as I thought I would.  I feel slightly embarrassed about my time, I really thought I would have finished in the four hour mark.  I know that I should feel great about finishing A MARATHON, but honestly I feel like I didn't do as well as I could.

Why the fog? Why the lack of drive? Why the lack of interest?


It is simple....P.M.S other wise known as Post Marathon Syndrome. 



It is time to "re-focus" my running lens.  Time to take a second look at what I want to do and where I want to go.  I am training for the half in December, but I just don't have the drive I had when I trained for the marathon.  Maybe it is knowing that I CAN run that far.  For me setting the goal to run the marathon was knowing that 26 miles was something I hadn't done and I wanted to know IF I could do it.  Now that I know that I can do it, I feel like there is no challenge.

Finding the "why" in running has been a little hard for me.  I will say that recently I have started to help a fellow runner learn how to run.  Teaching her what I know and what I have learned has helped me re-focus my passion.  I never lost the love of running, but I have lost the drive.  Helping Chris and seeing her reach her potential is rewarding.  I am starting to see her grow as a runner and I see that she really wants to learn.  So I really want to help her. 

Chris, we all start somewhere and we all learn sometime, I am happy that I can see you grow.  At the same token thank you for unknowingly that you are helping me out of my P.M.S.

How about you, have you ever experienced P.M.S?

How did you get out of your funk?

New shoes will make all the difference

I told myself that I would set out to buy myself a new pair of shoes once I finished my Marathon, as a reward to myself for all my hard work.
I tend to overpronate and have low arches.  This causes me to wear out sides of my shoes. The pair of shoes that I have are worn in well and with quite a few miles on them.  This has triggered a wicked case of plantar faciitis on my right foot.  I don't think I was properly fitted for these shoes, so I am very eager to get a new pair.

I spent some time reading about different brands and what uses have to say about these.  My last few pairs have been Nike+ shoes that have a chip insert in the inside of the shoe.  With the new design of the shoes I don't really like they way they are built.  Nike moved the post on the shoe and the cradle of the shoes is much heaver then the way they used to be.
Some things that I considered when I decided to get new shoes.

• Shoes with more meat on the sole, I want to get more than 250 miles out of a pair of shoes.
• The shoes should be lighter, on those long runs ever ounce counts
• There needs to be more cushion, the ones I have a bit of rubber on them and do not respond well
• The toe box needs be bigger, I have been hitting to top of my last shoes bruising my toe nails
• Arch support, the ones I have are too high and rub

The cost of a pair shoes is not a factor in my decision making process.  These are my feet and you can not put a price on running pain free.   Think of feet as the foundation to your house.  When you have a weak foundation it causes other problems down the road.

I went down to Boulder Running Company with two pair of shoes in mind.  The Brooks Adrealine GTS 11 and the Brooks Ghost 4. 

Well, what did I go with?  Neither! 

I went Brooks Glycerin 9.  Aren't these just the sexiest thing you have seen? I am in love with them.  I have already put 10 miles on them and they feel great, There was no "breaking" in time and they are light.  I am very happy with my new buy. 

What's Next?

I have noticed that I have been asked a few time

"now that you have finished a Marathon, what's next?" 

Just as the high of running a Marathon starts to wear off, you do start to ask yourself that same question.  What am I going to do next; this can't be it, can it?  To answer myself, yes I have been kicking around some ideas.  I have thought about working on my 5K times, placing in my age group is something I really want to accomplish and I am almost there, completing an accent, trying a 14er, becoming a half fanatic.  All of these would be tougher than a Marathon and I like pushing myself to do tougher things.  As of today, I have committed to doing the Rock Canyon Half Marathon on December 3rd with my friend Kim.

The Rock Canyon Half Marathon will be a challenge within it's self.  Pueblo is 45 miles south on Colorado Springs, even though it is at a lower altitude, Pueblo can experience cold weather.  This time of year, there is little to no snow, however in December, temperature averages can range from 49°F and 18°F. The trail will be an out and back and settles in the "banana belt" this means usually when it is snowing around the area, the trail tends to stay dry.

So, that being said, it can get COLD.  I don't mind running in the cold, as long as I am prepared for it.  Today, makes day one of getting ready for this run, I will not have to train as hard for this run since I am all geared up from the Marathon, I will just tapper up a little and then back down, I am planning to run at least 20 miles a week and 30 being the max that I hit.  Today marks day one of training, so away we go again. 

Today's run felt ready even though it was cold, but guess I should start getting used to that.  I also run better in the cold, since I have been training in the hot summer days. I decided that I would stick to the outlined Half Marathon training guide a little better than I did the Marathon.  Today, I did an easy four miles. I ran at my goal pace for two miles then, I ran a little harder for 5 minutes, then back down to my goal pace for five and repeat for the last two miles.  I was happy to see that I had negative splits at the end of my run.This is what my splits looked like:

At mile 1 I like to walk a quarter to get my legs warmed up and then I start my run, so this will typically be slower.  However, for there on out, I steadily got faster. I will defiantly have to incorporate the leg work into my routine.  You know something I discovered.  When I was running faster, I did breath deeper, and when I slowed down, my breathing became faster? I have yet to figure this part out.  If any of you know why let me know.



Marathon Recaps

As I walked around Boulder Running Company looking for a pair of running sleeves to help keep me warm on my first Marathon I saw I magnet that jumped out at me it said "Marathon Freak" I giggled and thought to myself, it should really read "freak marathon". You know six months ago when I started to look at Marathons and wanted to get this off my "bucket list" I thought at the time I can do this. However as the days drew closer, I started to re-evaluate my "great idea" My mind started to get consumed with thoughts of

"am I eating properly, am I drinking enough, will I make the distance..."

To help prepare I started to drink ridiculous amounts of water which has the wonderful return effect of having to make it to restroom every 30 minutes and waking up in the middle of the night with an ever full bladder. I started to carb load, which I was not so happy with. There once was a day that I loved to consume carbs and looked forward to the weekly plate of pasta. With my diet change having to eat REAL carbs was not as appealing as it once was.

I had read an article that said that I should not be surprised that I would be putting on about 4 additional pounds prior to the race due to the carb load and the water intake. All I could think of was that means more weight, so that means there is a potential that I would run slower. The idea of having a slower time bothered me more than the weight gain?!?!

Saturday rolled around and I got ready to head out to Denver. I walked around the expo and picked up all the goodies, met Dan Evens from season five's Biggest Loser. That was an inspiration to see his before picture and see him now. I picked up a few more goodies then headed to the hotel to get checked in. I dropped all my gear and left to get to Maggiano's for dinner.
 

Maggiano's was special to me since I have one is San Jose, and I have many significant memories there so to me it only felt fitting to have dinner there. You would have thought that after a big plate of pasta, glass of wine and 45 minutes in the hot tub I would be ready to sleep soundly.

I laid out my outfit packed my belt with my phone, ID, four gel packs, and some lemon heads. I carefully pined on my number and my sign that I made for my Mom. I wanted everyone to know why I was running. Even with all the preparation I couldn't sleep well. I kept thinking about how far I was about run and how hard it was going to be. I rolled over to look at the clock and it only said 11pm! Eventually I fell asleep and the alarm came quickly! I POPED out of bed and dashed for the fridge. I knew I had to get food in my stomach quickly so I wouldn't get the STICH that would make me start walking.


I walked to the gear check and over to the start line, with one last deep breath I headed out to the masses to get ready to start my long journey.  I was nervous and excited at the same time. I always get a little teary eyed right before I start because I always feel Mom with me right before I start and I say a silent prayer to myself "Mom, this is for you.. please lord please give me the strength to carry me through the toughest times and when I feel alone and ready to give up give me strength to keep going"

The buzzer goes off and we slowly start heading down the street. I thought to myself, wow I am doing this, there is no turning back now. Just me and the road. I ended up syncing up with a fellow marathoner with the same pace and stopped every few mile to stop and take pictures along the way.

Louie helped me out by stopping and taking some pictures with me. I was really glad that he insisted that I capture my journey. Thank you Louie! Here I am at 15k. I was in such great sprits little did I know how far I really had left :)

This was right before my STICH hit me, at this time I was running low on energy so I pumped in a GU, and I regret that. That wall was coming my body started to use up all it had stored. At this time I wished I was overweight. I started to wonder if I was going to finish. My feet started to hurt. Walking hurt more than running so I switched to a very slow jog.

I was so tired when we hit this spot. I kind of look like striper that has had a long night and working her way down the pole. That wall was creeping up on me. I had slowed down in Gel intake, because that awful STICH crept up on me between 30k and 35k. I ate a banana and a GU, then I felt better and was in the way to the finish!

I was so happy to cross that finish line.  One of the volunteers who was medaling runners was a fellow marathoner  and friend and who had my medal. To me it was significant, because he has known me over the years and to have someone who has seen you go through your life altering journey and that person is the who gives your medal instead of a stranger, is special.  Thank you Roger for waiting for my slow ass to get in!

Everyone told me I would break down when I crossed the finish line, but one thing the road and I will know, and you that follow me. Is that I did break down; I cried at mile 23. People were yelling at me

"Go you can do it, you're almost there, do it for Mom"

It gave me that push I needed to finish.  At that time is when I realized that I have done it, I pounded out 26.2 miles and I was going to finish it. I am going to be in the 1% of the world population that has completed a Marathon.  When I hit 26 after that it was all mine and I ran it out with perfect form and happiness. Everyone who waited at the rail gave me high five's on the way in. I could see Roger with his hands held high and I fist pumped my whole way in!

I know he said some kind words to me, but I was so pumped with adrenaline, I couldn't tell you a word he said. I remember something like you did it. I was a little discombobulated at this point.

Do I recommend Marathons to others, no not really I think we all find our own path and if it happens to lead you to a Marathon, than that is great I will be there to encourage you along the way. I can say finishing a Marathon is an experience that I will never forget. The pride that comes with it and the bragging rights feels empowering! Thank you all for following me and giving me advice when I needed it. Who knows what's next but this I tell you. Even with all the pain I have I am already thinking of when I will do this next.

These are my split, I am overall happy with my times!

I am officaly a Marathoner

Well, I finished my first Marathon.  I am soaking my feet in Epsom salt right now as we speak.  I will post my thoughts a little later.  Thank you all who have supported me though this journey.

How Do You Train?

A friend of mine asked me the other day,

"How do you train for your marathon?  I can't even begin to imagine how to do it"

I know she reads my blog so instead of repeating myself, I thought I would post my training regiment.  So, Linda, here you go:

Week 3 - I was sick

Week 10 - I was in Nebraska

I am now on my last few weeks, and I am feeling okay. I know that I could tackle a Half Marathon, easily however it's that other half that I am feeling unsure.  There is no doubt that I won't finish the race, but I defiantly think this will be one of the harder things that I am going to do.

The practice runs have been good for me to guage what I need.  I know that I need some type or sugar about every 40 minutes, if I go longer my sugar levels start to drop and I start to get weak and light headed also, the recovery takes to longer.  In my utility belt, I plan to carry one bottle with water, the other bottle with a Gatorade, or some other type of sports drink.  I also plan to carry a few gel packs or sports beans in my pack.  People who have done this race have told me that there are plenty of aid stations.  I do not always like to rely on aid stations, I like to have my stuff on me when I need it.  I have also been told that Ibuprofen will be my BFF.  So, check got that.  I have no clue what the weather will be like in Denver the day of the run, but the expo I am sure will have all that I need.

Mental Blocks, Ackes and Pains

With 49 days or 8 weeks and 1 day to go until the Denver Rock and Roll Marathon, I am starting to feel like I may have bitten off to much to chew. I recently had a conversation with our cross country coach about my training. We talked about the mental blocks I am having a hard time getting over, my times, and the body ackes. He told me that I am on the right track and I have plenty of time until the Marathon so taking a week off to rest is okay. He told me:

"listen to your body, trust your instincts. You have been running 20-25 miles a week your can get injured easier and you can get sick real easy. Your body has less time to recover and if you push it to hard you'll be watching the Marathon from the TV."

I sat and marinated on his comments and thought to myself, Randy has been a long distance runner for 20+ years and has coached many great runners, I should really take his advice.

All week I have been resting and not getting out to run has been hard for me. I really feel better after I run, I feel like I can clear my head of all the noise of life and just "be one with the road".  I ran Wednesday for Rock Bottom, but it was such a bad run. We all have our off days but today took the cake. I couldn't wash out the noise in my head. It was that mental block I had mentioned a little earlier. The thoughts that many runners say that they face when training are things like:

• What am I thinking? I am never going to be ready for the Marathon
• I still have 8 weeks and I am nowhere near the mileage that I need to be putting in
• My training runs are not long enough or fast enough
• Why should I push myself on this run, I will just walk more than normal, who cares

All these mental blocks are difficult to get over. I feel that I am a fairly confident person and defiantly secure with myself, but this is something new to me. I have read about this and I thought to myself I would not be like the other runners, but you know what? I am like the other runners. I had been told that training and running a marathon will test your mental state and there will be alot of emotional journey's that you will go on. I though to myself these peole are just not tough enough. I was wrong and now I am eating my words. But you know what? It is making me more of a humble person.

So as I sit here all the while I am thinking of lacing up, but the leg ackes and foot pains remind me that I need to rest and take it easy. I am sure a week off will do my body good and I will be back out on the road soon.

Your registration would be paid. Want to run it?

So, yesterday I get a text from my hair dresser. It says:

"There is a 5K run tomorrow on the Air Force Academy.

Your registration would be paid. Want to run it?"

I thought this sounds like fun, to run at the US Air Force Academy, that is a one in a life time opportunity. Also, the idea of my entry fee being paid sounds great. Then I thought, what's the catch?

After talking to my hair dresser, and asking some questions, it turned out another client of her's has a business called Pikes Peak Respite Services they provide individualized respite care for your loved one with special needs as well as typical siblings. Our services include family advocacy for IEP meetings and family preservation planning. I would be running for them on a team and I would need to wear a shirt. Basically it is a marketing event for them.

I was so honored to be asked.

I showed up at Beverly's house and met the team, we proceeded to pick up a client and then off to the AFA stadium.  We got a little turned around while there. The US AFA covers 18,000 acres, so it is very easy to get lost there! We found our way after a few u-turns. We checked in and found out tent, set up and I started to stretch out. There were quite a few kids there with disabilities and chair bound. It was nice to see young cadets there that offered to push kids through the race.

The race started fast! It was down hill for the first mile then up hill for mile two. I don't train much on hills and the mental block that comes with them is hard for me to get over, I try to tel myself, if I just push this out to the top, then it's all down hill. Sometimes when your breathing gets labored and you feel like you legs weight 10lbs each makes it hard to pick them up and keep going. Also, the US AFA happens to sit at 6,800 feet above sea level, which is almost 800, feet higher than I am used to running at. At the turn around it was all down, hill so anytime that I added on the upswing, I got back on the down hill. On the down hill, the AFA bike escorts were circling back up the hill and they kept saying "good job keep it up" this really helped me out.

I started to pick off runners one by one, all those people that passed my on the up swing. Passing other runners just helps you push your legs out from under you and give you that extra push to go just a hair faster with each step. As I was rounding the final right turnI could see mile marker three and the finish line, it was uphill again, I kicked it into gear with all I had left, it was cool to have the crowd cheer you on, it makes me push harder. I had a strong finish and was overall happy with my time.

I stood at the finish line and waited for my other team members to make their way in. I got the opportunity to watch a few cadet push kids through the finish line. Just watching the kids faces light up was moving. The crowd would cheer really loud and the kids would raise their hands from their chair in victory, laughing and smiling.

Here are my splits:

As you can see mile two caught up with me. I was running out of gusto!

Official time: 00:31:10

Happy Day!

I can say I am a real blog! I just noticed today that I have a new follower that is not my family! Sorry Char!

So I wanted give a shout out to my new follower Carmelo! Thank you for showing intrest in my blog, and in return I will follow yours!

First off, welcome to the world of running, I hope that you can find your own path and you follow it where ever it may lead you. Running can push you to your limits but it can amazing what you can do when you put your mind to something if you let yourself go there. There will be miles that are hard and you feel like you are all alone out there, but always remember that you are doing something that many people only wish they can do.

Steve Prefontaine once said:
"A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they're capable of understanding"

That being said, keep running and keep blogging!

25 Interesting Things About Me

1. I like to put fresh lavender next to my bed, I believe it makes me sleep better
2. I am a certified life guard, but I have a fear or lakes, oceans and the deep end of pools
3. I will run my first Marathon in October
4. I believe in ghosts and spirits, but not heaven or hell
5. I wore my hair maroon and blond for three years
6. I am a licenced Emergency Medical Technician, but cannot say the word ambulance
7. I prefer to be given a potted plan, than a bouquet of flowers
8. I have lived in all the states that start with the letter "C"
9. My favorite smells are clothes after they come out of the dryer and wet cement right after it starts to rain
10. I don't like my food to touch other foods on my plate, it messes with the flavors
11. I like to drink my coffee at room temperature and through a straw
12. My normal hair color is brown and it is curly
13. I believe everything has a meaning in life
14. I have to always have a napkin when ever I eat something even if I don't use it
15. I love dogs, but hate the smell of a dog
16. I have one tattoo on my hip, and will get another commemorating my marathon, it will be om my right rib cage of a running girl
17. I think that Halloween should be a Holiday, it is my favorite day of the year
18. I believe in reincarnation
19. I love to shovel snow?!? The cold air on my face some how makes me feel fresh and relaxed
20. Running in cold air is hard for me, I can't breath in cold air (asthma) but I love to run in sleet
21. Nothing feels better than slipping into bed right after it has been made, the tight sheets make me feel like I am in a cocoon
22. When I was in Kindergarten I asked the kid next to me to write my last name (maiden)  "because it was to long to write on my own"
23. The only numbers I know off the top of my head in my cell phone, are my home, My work and my parents home number
24. My Dad taught me "I would rather be an hour early than a minute late" to this day, if I know I am going to be even a minute late, I get anxiety even before I show up

And finally...

  25.  I am stage 2 cervical cancer survivor.

The Ever Shrinking Me

Well, I think the time has come to reveal the before and after. Here I am before I started to run:

Starting weight: 162lbs

Before:                After:                                                                                               

Current Weight: 118lbs

Classic 10K

 July 23rd 2011



Classic 10K is one of the fastest 10Ks in Colorado, the 10K starts near Tiffany Square on Corporate Center Dr & then follows the Pikes Peak Greenway along Monument Creek. The route is mostly paved and relatively wide. It has rolling hills along its path. Be aware of mud on the pavement if it has been raining. In Monument Valley Park the path turns to gravel and eventually ends on grass.



 

Time: 01:04:01

Age Place: 40/48

Gender Place: 238/313

Overall: Unknown

Here are my splits for this race:



Alex Hoag Run for Sunshine

Well this is my "anniversary" run. I don't know what else to call it but that.  Last year this was my first race and I feel that this will be a good placer to see where I came from. Last year I was very unprepaired but this year I was ready. I practiced hill work and built leg strength. Brad decided to run this race too. :) He has not trained for a 10K so I am very shocked that he decided to up and run that. I just wanted to do my 5K since I have the 10K classic next week.

2011 Results:                             2010 Results:
Offical Time: 00:29:01             Offical Time: 00:38:35
Age Place: 7th/14                     Age Place: 22/27
Gender Place:                            Gender Place: 116/ 184
Overall Place:                            Overall Place: 260/348

I gave everything I had today, I started strong and finished strong! I used the hills to my advantage, training for these really paied off! I pushed myself to the limits I ran through cramps, and ackes at one point I really started to doubt myself that I could do this but when I check my Nike+ at mile marker 2 I couldn't believe that I was at 18 minutes! When I hit the Mile marker 3 it was all down hill and I kicked it into gear and ran my heart out, my legs were shot at the end and I stumbled to the water station, but I FINALLY felt like an elite runner, now I may never see that time again, but giving everything I had was WORTH IT!

Rock Bottom Run Club

I recently discoved that Rock Bottom has a run club. I discovered this a few weeks ago and have been sitting on the idea of checking out this club since it was close to the house. I had checked out the Indigo Joe's run but that club has yet to be developed.

I sat on the patio last night and had the debate with myself on the should I, shouldn't I run. I finally decided I would give in and check it out. I ate a few ice chips to help bring down my core body temp. I little tip I found in my Running Magazine. I know, sounds strange but I figured I would give it a try since I am planning for Saturday's run to be hot again. Why not do a dry run today?

I got to Rock Bottom just a tad after 6pm, and was relived to see that there were some that had yet to start running. I met a nice couple that had a little boy and asked if they were doing the 5K or 3K. She said the 3K and he said the 5K. I was a little nervous because guys tend to run faster than I do. I really hate to make people slow down for me. So I said in the best confident voice I could muster up "GREAT" I figured if he was better than me at least I can work on my speed, not my favorite thing to work on, but I was not going to look like a sissy! Much to my surprise he said he runs about an 11 to 12 minute pace and walks from time to time. I can not say how releaved I was! I really didn't want to push it since Saturday is right around the corner.

So off we go, we made a nice pace and the weather couldn't have been better! It was slightly overcast and just a hint of humidity in the air. This made me glad since I forgot my water it in the car. The route is mostly paved and flat with just a few hills here and there, but that is nice to add to my runs, it will build strength in my legs. As we rounded the last mile the rain came! So did the hail! The hail kept hitting my ear and it hurt! I was starting to get soaked and all I could think about was my Nike+ chip in my shoe! We ended up camped out under Panara Bread and tired to wait out the rain. We stood there for five minutes or so it started to look better so we took off. By the time we got to Rock Bottom, I was soaked and not very happy to be wet, but oh well, another thing to chalk up to experience.

I decided to stick around for a few minutes and meet some of the other runners and I am glad that I did. With a smaller group it was nice that I got to meet people, Jack's is really big and I am to shy to converse with people in large groups.

Next week I really hope that it does not rain. I will finish the runs since after five you can earn your shit! That's really easy and it will give me something else I can work on!

Thanks to the Rock Bottom Run Club for a great run and it was nice to meet other runners in the area!

Distance: 3.83 miles
Pace: 00:13:00
Time: 00:43:34

Sailin' Shoes 5K

This was a great run! The weather was beautiful for Mid June. The weather started in the mid 50's and warmed up to the 60's with a light breeze. The route was flat fast course. The 5K is on a paved route with no hills. Elevation for this route is 6030.

I started out at a pace of 11'00 and at the 1 mile mark I was at 11:45. This was mostly down hill, then I hit mile two at 22 minutes. So I had picked up the pace just a tad. I like having people call out times, it really helped pace me. I rounded the finally turn and headed in. I kicked it up the last 200 yards to get a strong finish, then I got stuck behind a slow person who was trying to get in. You have to file single file at the finish! Which is so stupid, I hate to do races with out the chip timing. But all in all I am seeing progress. My next race will be the Alex Hoag run for Sunshine in July.

Offical Time: 00:32:43
Age Group Place: 21/49
Gender Place: 187/296
Overall Place: 400/555

Offical Time and Recaps

Look I got an "Official Certificate" for running the 100th Bay to Breakers!

My Official time is 01:36:20 

Here are my split times:

I think I could have done way better! Here is the delima. First off Brad and I planed to run this race at the best of our ability. Our phones did not charge last night and our phones were on their last leg, so I decided to be a team player and for go all the training I did. With 55,000 people running trying to meet up with each other at the end would have been a mess, so I walked with Brad when he needed to rest. Brad did not train for this race, so I decided to take pictures and enjoy this race. I am a little down on myself, but it is okay, next year I will run the race at my full potential.

Here are some of the images that I captured from our race:

Since 1997, this building sits on the corner of 6th and Howard. It is an abandoned apartment building. There are pieces of furniture, beds, couches and even a grandfather clock all suspended from the building's widows with cables, known as "defenestration" (meaning to throw out) creating the illusion of failing. The piece was created by a local artiest Brian Goggin.

We ran in to the Bay to Breakers "Spawning Salmon" on Hayes street.

 The 15ft "Spawning Salmon" run the Bay to Brakers every Year. They get to start at the end of the race and "swim upstream" the crowd of participants. When they get to the start line, they lay on the ground and squirm around and "spawn".

WARNING NUDITY WILL FOLLOW THIS!!!

At many points we ran into the "Bare to Breakers". Yep, this mean people run in their birthday suits. The Bare to Breakers, are "demonstrating and promoting self-acceptance and realization that each person's body, no matter size or shap is good and admirable; and that one's own body should be viewd as the most wonderful creation we have."

We also spoted a few note worthy people:
The Royal Family made the trip to SF!

Where's Waldo, saw him a few times along the way!

This group won "Best Musical Group" I really thought that they were great!

So to wrap it up there are so much more to share but you will have to visit my facebook page to see the rest. Over all it was such an amazing experience and I would do it all over again. But make sure my phone was charged! Hope you enjoyed the journey!

I Finished The 100th Bay to Breakers

WOW! Thank is all I can say! What an adventure! There were so many people. I am done I did it! My unofficial time 01:42:15. I will post some post-race thoughts, but man what an adventure! I can't believe what I saw, don't worry I will give you Pict's too! I am going to pack up, get some grub, jump in the car and head back to San Jose.

I will talk to you soon!

Pre Race Thank yous

So, in about 9 hours I will be crossing the starting line and I wanted to regroup and capture some thoughts and thank a few people that have encouraged me. Also, this will be as close as I will ever get to an acceptance speech of importance.

Mom. Thank you. Without you I would have not done this. When you told me that you have Cancer something clicked inside of me that made me want to do something for you. You can not run this race, so I will dedicate this run to you. You deserve it more that I do. I made you a promise and I will keep running as long as you keep fighting and on each anniversary I will run one for you. You are part of me and by me running I feel that you are living through me. Love you!

 

 

Trista. Even though we are miles apart and have lost contact over the years, you have always come back into my life when I needed direction. You may never know how important you have been in my life. You gave me encouragement in high school and I straightened out my life. Your encouragement gave me strength to keep running and a competitive edge. Thank you, you are an angle.

 

 

To some good friends Chris, thank you for joining Jack Quinn's and encouraging me on my runs. Thank you for not always offering me bad foods and encouraging me to stay on the right path. Charlotte, you are my best friend and my sister, you believed in me when I had no faith, you told me that I can do it when I thought of throwing in the towel. Thank you for being my rock. Melissa, I just smile when I think of your peppy chats and encouragement, you are the best! Joe, thanks for running with me and pushing me to do better, I need you to kick my but now and then to keep me going!

 

 

And finally to everyone else, thank you for following me on this blog, facebook. Without your posts and words or encouragement I could have not made this journey. I was talking to Mom and Dad I told them I can not believe it has been a year since I started a journey and the idea of Running the Bay to Breakers was just an idea. However, knowing that people were interested in this journey made it all possible.

 

 

So that being said, I am going to log off and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow I will be blogging about my journey to the finish line.

 

 

Wish me luck folks!

Take 5 in the Graden

May 7th 2011

Over 1,000 runners will chose to run either a 5k or 5 mile though a "picture-perfict" park, running amongst towering red sandstone formation on a paved, hilly course. Garden of the Gods Park, the crowned Jewel of Colorado Springs' Park system plays host to  this race on a beautiful May morning.

Offical Time:00:38:32

Age Place: 46/58

Gender Place: 199/294

Overal Place: Unknown

Saint Patrick's Day 5K

Well, I must say I am impressed with my self. I finished the Saint Patrick's Day 5K run in 34 minutes 33 seconds! That shaves at least 4 minutes off my very first run, which was the Alex Hoag run for Sunshine.

Offical Time: 00:34:33
Age Place: 149/222
Gender Place: 770/1241
Overall Place: UNKNOWN

Jack Quinn's

With the weather being so great, I decided that I would hit Jack Quinn's.

I felt like I could tackle the 5K with ease, boy was I wrong! Someone once told me that I should not get used to the treadmill it will be hard to transition back to outside. She was right. I feel like every time I make one step forward I make five steps backwards! I ran it is 37 minutes and I had to stop for a while, perhaps I started out to fast and pushed to hard in the beginning.

I was just ashamed of what I produced last night. It feels like a set back.

The Memory of Being Fat

I read an interesting article in my February Runners Magazine.

It is titled "A Thin Line"

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297-519-13846-0,00.html

I liked this article because it strikes home for me. Like the person of interest in this article, I struggled with the "new me". Physically I have changed, but I struggle with the mental image I see in mirrors. I feel like if I twist and turn just right I will see myself the way others see me. Mentally I am still "thunder thighs". I still see the size 10 girl who was unhappy and unsure of herself.

Even though I have broken the 9 1/2 minute mile barrier, conquered the Incline, and can out run my husband, I still feel like the frumpy girl. In the article the author writes,

"It's not about being fat. I know people of all shapes and sense of self is blessedly untethered for their weight. It's about the terror of what we might become is we allow ourselves to let go, to get weak, to slow down. I run now for a lot of reason for fitness and for times and for friendship and for the sheer pleasure of motion. But deep inside I know I'm also running because with every step, I'm leaving Plumpkin further behind. "

When starting this journey, I said I would not obsess about my weight, but now that I can fit back into my clothes I am scared to return to that size and unhappiness. I should feel good in my own skin regardless of what size I am, however underneath it all I still have the insecurities.

Hello Tredmill!

With the new year coming gym's tend to give good deals on memberships. I was very excited to see that Villa Sport has a great deal NO ENROLLMENT!!

So hello treadmill good-bye coldness! The treadmill I read is a great way to establish a good pace. For me it has been good although my shins are killing me. Guess taking time away from running was not such a great idea. I haven't been in so much pain before.

Welcome to the New Year1

Well, taking Christmas off from running did my mantra good! I enjoyed the wonderful cookies Mom makes, had cake, pies and all sorts of stuff. Needless to say my first run for the new year did not go so well :o( I ran the Jack Quinn's is well over my usual time, but I felt good. Orion was a little slow too!

The weather was colder then normal, but it seems that taking time away gave my lungs time to heal! I had been coughing so much that it has been cutting in to my training, which was starting to worry me. Trying to run the complete 5K has been quite the task!

So, now that I am "back on the wagon" this means back to the morning shakes, eating more fruit, leaner meats, good bye cake, candy, ice cream. Hello New Year, this year will be better